Family traditions

**Bugbear** · 24th August 11, 12:07 PM

Ya, the misleading stories can actually become a family tradition of their own.

**Burly Brute** · 24th August 11, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Gael Ridire

Burly Brute - Thanks for the kind words. As I look back I believe that I focused to much on attending events and not more internalizing the traditions. It really blew me away when my one son stated that he wanted a kilt to wear to family functions of import and opted to get a tank kilt instead of the PV type. I really think that having all my children's families attend once a month for a formal diner at the house in kilt will help this get ingrained.

Your time will come. Think it over and what you want to do, and make sure you talk about it with your lovely companion. A Scot I knew came here to the states for college. He was a piper, and wanted to have a kilted wedding. His bride said "no way" and that she never wanted him to wear a kilt again or play the pipes. Yuck!!!

Thankfully my soon-to-be spouse has given me her approval on kilts for our upcoming wedding this January, but at first she didn't take much to the liking. I love the idea of the once a month thing, even if it didnt have to do with kilts, still a great bonding experience for family!

**Hamilton pride** · 24th August 11, 06:27 PM

I have been trying to get more of my family history into my family and get my kids interested in Scottish things. I keep hitting a brick wall when it comes to my wife, I am trying to learn the pipes (shes against it), she told me I dont need to be wearing a kilt i'll just embarass myself (says my legs are to short for a kilt). Her family is from a German background and they could care less about their heritage and thinks I shouldn't either. I am slowly getting my girls a little interested, they like going to the Scottish festivals, but they are teenagers so I dont know how long that will last. I think anything you can do to get closer to your heritage is great. Maybe one day I can wear my kilt without ridicule from the family.

**Gael Ridire** · 24th August 11, 07:13 PM

That is hard when the family doesn't support you, I've felt that way a lot. Yet my wife has been supportive but dang if she isn't practical too! My new one daughter-in-law thinks it is all a bit weird. Since toddlers, our family on Memorial Day visit nearly all the graves of my wife's ancestry in the state, takes three days. But we go to the graves, clean them up, pay a tribute and read the history of the person. We will also have a picnic. For most it's a three day weekend, for my family it is one weekend during the year that we can pay honor to our forefathers. The new daughter thinks this is really weird!

Perhaps you might not hit the mark with your kids, but there's the grandkids!

**Lime** · 25th August 11, 01:18 AM

"To me the Irish & Scots are the same" - I can assure you most emphatically that they are not! To me however all Americans are the same!

**PEEDYC** · 25th August 11, 01:34 AM

I could not agree more. My son and daughter are not really interested in the family traditions. My daughter became interested when she gave her daughter the middle name Mae. I told her she had an ancestor who spelled her name Mae instead of May. She was the daughter of a Hugh Corrance who moved to Dubuque in the USA in 1860. This did get her interested.

One of my nephews married an Australian born girl with very mixed ancestry. She was delighted when I gave her a print out of our family tree going back only as far as 1790. She wanted to know more about our family now that she was part of it.

Unfortunately my son has a daughter so unless either of my nephew's fathers a son then the line stops ..... One has a daughter so far, the other isn't trying ..... yet.

**Jock Scot** · 25th August 11, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Lime

"To me the Irish & Scots are the same" - I can assure you most emphatically that they are not! To me however all Americans are the same!

I say. Steady on chaps!

**Laird_M** · 25th August 11, 01:46 AM

Originally Posted by PEEDYC

Unfortunately my son has a daughter so unless either of my nephew's fathers a son then the line stops ..... One has a daughter so far, the other isn't trying ..... yet.

That was a concern for me.
My two brothers don't have kids as whilst my eldest is not biologically mine, but in my heart his is no matter what CAFCASS say, our line was looking shaky, but when my wife felt ill when she ate ice cream a few years ago, it turned out the line is safe, for the youngest current generation at least.

Once I've finished my research I'm burning a copy for both of my boys, so the knowledge isn't lost.

**Lime** · 25th August 11, 04:00 AM

I say. Steady on chaps!

I type with a twinkle in my eye and a good natured guffaw... sorry if it didn't quite come out like that!

**OC Richard** · 25th August 11, 05:35 AM

This blending of Scots and Irish here in the USA is an interesting topic.

Behind it all is the ancient fact that the Highland Gaels were a people and culture imported to Scotland from Ireland. For centuries there was ongoing contact between the two. Young Highland pipers were sent to Ireland for training in their art. The English commented upon the Highlanders speaking "the Irish language".

Our modern notion of Scotland and Ireland being seperate political entities would have meant nothing to a 14th century Gael, who could have passed from the Highlands to Ireland speaking the same language and being within a shared culture.

Anyhow the muddling of the concepts of Scottishness and Irishness here in the USA has been helped along by the unfortunate term "Scotch-Irish". These Ulster Scots came here in an 18th century mass migration (c1717-1775).

But to many modern Americans the term "Scotch-Irish" is thought to mean people of mixed Scottish and Irish ancestry. Once I was out piping somewhere and a teenage girl came up and told me that her ancestors were from "Scotch-Ireland".