Happy International Tartan Day!

**Mike_Oettle** · 2nd July 10, 03:42 AM

Well done, Downunder!
And I wouldn’t worry too much about the sgian dhu.
Regards,
Mike

**Lallans** · 2nd July 10, 06:04 AM

I thought Tartan Day was in April?

**Mike_Oettle** · 2nd July 10, 08:49 AM

Perhaps there’s another one in a different country?

**Lallans** · 2nd July 10, 01:29 PM

But he said Intenational....

**Mike_Oettle** · 2nd July 10, 01:50 PM

Canuck wrote: “But he said International . . .”

Well, a day that is called international in once place is sometimes celebrated on another date in another country.
One silly example is Human Rights Day, which was proclaimed by the United Nations and is supposed to be observed on the same day around the world.
But when South Africa adopted new holidays following the 1994 election, June 16 was named a holiday because it was the anniversary of the Soweto uprising in 1976. Initially it was called Soweto Day, but a few years later it was formally tagged as Human Rights Day (for reasons that make little sense to me), and we don’t observe the UN date.
I recall also that there is a tartan registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans called Tartan Day South Africa. Since I am not a keen follower of sport I was unaware of it until I came across it on the SRT, and until this evening had no idea when it was. So I googled it and came up with the report I quote below. Make of it what you will (and please note that the US has a different Tartan Day, according to that report).
Regards,
Mike

South Africa celebrates Tartan Day
South Africa has held its first Tartan Day celebrations. .21 March 2009 07:00 GMT
South Africa has held its first Tartan Day celebrations.

Tartan Day is a celebration of Scotland which highlights the nation's creativity, innovation, heritage, business success and people.
The event was first held in Canada and proved so successful that America soon held their own celebration. In 2004, the US House of Representatives decreed that April 6, the date of the signing of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, should be established as National Tartan Day to recognise “the outstanding contribution and achievements made by Scottish Americans to the United States”.
In 2004 Angus Council was the first council in Scotland to celebrate the event with a week-long programme of special events leading up to April 6.
The South African Tartan Day celebrations began on Thursday with a Taste of Scotland dinner held at the Rand Club in Johannesburg.
Angus Provost Ruth Leslie Melville attended the event and presented the organisers of the first Tartan Day South Africa Gold Challege with a specially commissioned Carnoustie Country trophy.
The golf challenge begins in May and culminates in November when the winners of 15 regional tartan day tournaments will compete for the Carnoustie Country Trophy and a place at the 2010 Scottish Tartan Day Challenge in Angus.
Ms Leslie Melville said in a statement: “Everyone here is very excited about their first Tartan Day and I am very proud that our own Angus events prompted South Africa's participation in this growing global festival.
“It is an honour to have been invited to participate in the inaugural year and as well as offering our support we will be taking every opportunity to promote Angus and our vision for a worldwide Tartan Day celebration in 2020, with Arbroath Abbey at its centre.”