Tartan-wearing conventions among Scots

[Sir William]

I am afraid that in this contest the Irish have the Scots beat, at least in the US. Polls show that many more Americans identify as being of Irish descent that is statistically possible.

Like Jock, I'm a wee bit surprised at that. I will grant that on St Patrick's Day EVERYONE is Irish, and that we don't quite see the same turnout on St Andrew's Day.

[dfmacliam]

That reminds me of a movie called "The Matchmaker" where an US politician was in Ireland searching for his "Irish Roots" to help him win the Irish vote. Turns out, it was all fabricated.. his family came from Eastern Europe...
Many in the States claim Native American anscestory... Much like claiming Scot or Irish blood.... I guess in a society which has no real culture of it's own, people reach back to what they believe is their culture from the past...

[BEEDEE]

The latter I hope, although most Scots think they know the answer,so they do not need to ask the question, I suppose.

Good point - after all it's thanks to the Scottish Regiments that the term regimental came about.

Brian

[BEEDEE]

As a rather cynical local, I have put much of this clan sept thing, to name but one example, down to cleaver marketing of the tourist industry and associated trades and their biscuit tin version of Scots history and the wishful thinking of the visitors that are willing to part with their hard earned cash to buy into the Scots myth.

Jock, while I can see some truth in what you say and have seen some of the effects first hand on visits to Scotland there is another side.

Born in NZ I remember my parents referring to the UK a 'home'. There was always a strong link to the mother country. I can trace back with absolute certainty to Roderick MacRae of Rogart, Sutherlandshire through five generations. Am I proud of that link and heritage - damm right I am. I still remember my first visit to the Highlands in 1968. Something inside said 'you have a link to this'. I continue to be stirred by the photos of Scotland shown on this site and elsewhere, I spent two hours today listening to the World Pipe Band Championships streamed live from Glasgow. I am proud to claim my Scots heritage.

Now in the USA I find many who are looking for their ancestry for what ever reason. Like me, most cannot get far enough back in the records to say with any certainty that there was a direct clan link. After all, my ancestor lived about 120 miles as the crow flies from Eilean Donnan Castle the focal point for Clan MacRae. So my link is tenuous to say the least. But in this day and age of Clan Societies I am proud to call myself a MacRae and work to further the Clan interests here in the US. And yes, I have two MacRae kilts.

Brian

[Bruce Scott]

According to Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Lord Lyon King of Arms 1945-1968: "septs must be regarded as a rather wonderful effort of imagination"
http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/...lan-septs.html

[Colonel MacNeal]

That reminds me of a movie called "The Matchmaker" where an US politician was in Ireland searching for his "Irish Roots" to help him win the Irish vote. Turns out, it was all fabricated.. his family came from Eastern Europe...
Many in the States claim Native American anscestory... Much like claiming Scot or Irish blood.... I guess in a society which has no real culture of it's own, people reach back to what they believe is their culture from the past...

Hi Peacekeeper,

I think it's because we as Americans are actually multicultural and tend to embrace traditions and people from all over the world. Don't make it out be a bad thing.

Cheers, ColMac

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

With reference to the United States it was said:

I guess in a society which has no real culture of it's own, people reach back to what they believe is their culture from the past...

I have to disagree. The United States has a distinct culture, which has developed over 400 years. I will give you five examples of your uniquely "American" culture:

Literature: Mark Twain
Poetry: Carl Sandburg
Music: Scott Joplin
Art: Georgia O'Keeffe
Cinema: D.W. Griffith

Now, can you do the same-- without getting up from your chair-- for Denmark? Probably not, which in no way implies that the Danes have no culture of their own. Rather it suggests a lack of awareness-- nothing more, nothing less. I would put it to you that the average "man in the street" in Glasgow is no more "aware" of Scottish culture than his counterpart in Chicago is "aware" of American culture because they both live it every day.

Having cultural affinity-- be it the Frenchman in Paris who longs to ride the open plains of the American West, or the Mexican in Tiajuana who comes home to an apartment filled with Japanese prints-- is just that, and doesn't imply that the afficianado has no "native" culture, or that that native culture is in someway inferior.

I think that when one suggests that their country lacks a distinctive culture they run the risk of being one of those people Gilbert & Sullivan satirized in The Mikado---

[gilmore]

...Now, can you do the same-- without getting up from your chair-- for Denmark? Probably not, which in no way implies that the Danes have no culture of their own. Rather it suggests a lack of awareness-- nothing more, nothing less. I would put it to you that the average "man in the street" in Glasgow is no more "aware" of Scottish culture than his counterpart in Chicago is "aware" of American culture because they both live it every day.

...

I was thinking of posting something similar. We are blind to our own cultures, since we think of them as normative, especially in the case of American culture, which is huge and homogenous, with even little regional variation, compared to other countries.

Also, the rapidly expanding global culture is largely American-driven, with American movies, TV shows, books and other mass media at the forefront. It is fast steamrolling indigenous cultural expression everywhere. Blue jeans instead of kilts in Scotland is only one example. It seems everyone wants to like Americans, except perhaps for our habit of gratuitously invading smaller, weaker countries.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Tut, tut, Gilmore... you are sailing close to the wind...

[gilmore]

Tut, tut, Gilmore... you are sailing close to the wind...

Of course, that's where the speed is.