Burns Night kilting

[Joshua]

Jock,

I read with great interest your post further up in this thread. I had always assumed that Burns suppers have always been formal affairs. To find that in times past they were more casual is quite refreshing.

There is no local Burns supper event here, which is terribly odd considering the interest in Scottish culture in this area. I've been thinking about contacting some local establishments regarding offering one next year.

May I ask, please, when you get a chance, would you elaborate a bit on what the Burns suppers you used to attend were like? If I am going to try to put something together I'd like it to be more "traditional" (there...I used the "T" word! ) and not so over the top that people will not attend because they don't have formal attire. I'm quite motivated by the idea of a less formal, less "cookie cutter" Burns celebration.

Thanks!

TH, I grew up in Asheville - and I think I might have seen a kilt twice in my life until I moved down here (and both times were individuals dressed out at Bele Chere). I would venture to say the majority of WNC native (pre-revolutionary) families have a majority of Scottish lineage, however culturally they are "Appalachian Americans" and traded pipes for fiddles and banjos about 250 years ago or so. They kept the taste for whiskey, concealed weapons, and offal though...

That being said, I am a sound believer in "If you build it, they will come". Why don't you talk to your friends at Jack of the Woods and see if they would host a Burns Night? Being in Asheville tho... I'm certain you'd get a very, very loose definition of "kilt casual".

[cessna152towser]

Our local Burns supper was held on Friday night and I posted a few pictures:-
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-supper-63770/
Most of the organisers and principal guests wore Burns era costumes while most of the guests wore smart casual. I was the only gent in a kilt.
The piper had to call off due to having just become a new dad and a fiddler substituted to fiddle the guests in to dinner and to fiddle in the chef with the haggis.
I suspect this might have been more historically authentic than having lots of kilted guests and a piper with bagpipes, as fiddlers would probably have been more common entertainment in the life and times of Burns in the Scottish lowlands, where at the time the kilt was not worn by lowlanders, and bagpipes were still a highland instrument rather than being associated with the whole of Scotland.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

How odd. I have just opened an invitation to what is, presumably, a white tie Burns Supper. The invitation reads in part:

Highland Evening Dress, Military Evening Dress, Black Tie.

I am sure that what they meant to say was:

Black Tie, Military Mess Dress, Highland Attire Preferred.

[Jordan]

How odd. I have just opened an invitation to what is, presumably, a white tie Burns Supper. The invitation reads in part:

Highland Evening Dress, Military Evening Dress, Black Tie.

I am sure that what they meant to say was:

Black Tie, Military Mess Dress, Highland Attire Preferred.

I might be being stupid but how do you know it's White tie if the invitation says black tie?

[SlackerDrummer]

"Evening dress" = white tie. "Black tie" = black tie.

[Mark Stephenson]

Re kilting at Burns Night: The Caledonian Society of Cincinnati will be hosting its Burns Night dinner on the 22nd. Founded in 1827, we have more than our fair share of traditions. However, the dress for the Burns Night dinner is informal. I'll be in a kilt and sweater. While most of the men will be kilted, there will be plenty of men in trousers, and no one really cares how you dress as long as you have a good time.

[Jordan]

"Evening dress" = white tie. "Black tie" = black tie.

That rings a bell now you mention it. Just me being a bit thick then Thanks

[Mark Stephenson]

I agree with MOR that the invitation was most likely referring to "black tie" despite its ambiguous wording. In my 20 years of military service I attended dozens of formal evening events . The mess dress was always worn. It would be the very rare exception which required the military "white tie" dress uniform.