What is Burns Night?
Burns Night is a celebration held all over the world on or around 25th January to commemorate the life and works of the Scottish bard (poet) Robert Burns on the anniversary of his birthday in 1759.
There are a wide variety of celebrations that take place in Burns' honour; these may be informal or formal, but almost all include reciting the poetic works and lyrics in homage to Burns' contribution to Scottish culture and literature. Traditionally, and still commonplace today, the event encompasses the Burns Supper focusing on the national haggis meal. Formal suppers include a strict running order to include grace, toasts and readings of pieces written by Robert Burns at key intervals during the meal, where guests are greeted on arrival to the sound of bagpipes being played, and the evening is filled with all the allure of a high society dinner party. The pinnacle of the event is the presentation of the haggis which enters the dining room to the accompaniment of bagpipes. The haggis is welcomed to the table with a reading of "Address to a Haggis" written by Burns. At the end of the reading, the haggis is ceremonially sliced into two pieces and the meal begins. To close the evening, all guests participate in the holding of hands and singing of "Auld Lang Syne".
Whilst not everyone adopts the formal tradition, the evening is richly celebrated, with many events being held including street parties, national landmark events and tributes which include musicians and circus acts open to the public. In recent years at George Square, you can experience the spectacular Burns Illuminated, a set of light projections and sound installations beaming all over City Chambers from the 23rd, and culminating in a star studded live performance on the 25th.
So, if you're out celebrating the legacy that Burns left behind after his untimely death, we have some great suggestions to join in with the illuminations.
In tribute to Burns, a special tartan was commissioned just for him in 1959 to mark his 200th birthday. Known as the Burns' Check, it is a popular cloth with a black check pattern, and is often worn this time of year. Since the 1930s, a Burns family tartan has also been produced, although this is much rarer.
If you plan on dressing up in the tartan as a personal appreciation, we recommend our LED Fredora Hat and either a Black LED Sequin Neck Tie or Bow Tie to compliment the Burns' Check - when the lights go down or you hit the street parties and illuminated entertainment, you can simply switch them on to glow along with the convivality. Equally, if you want to incorporate the Burns Family Tartan in your get up or your own dinner centrepieces and decor, opt for reds, greens and yellows. We supply the same sequin bow and neck ties in red, green and yellow, and our ever popular glow stick candles come in packs of yellow and would look great used in displays, to light pathways and lawns, and even carried.
If you're looking for something a bit more fun, or something for the kids, our new fibre optic headbands come in red and green, and we stock 4 inch and 6 inch glow stick lanyards in the same colours.
Alternatively, to honour the Scottish heritage, we recommend adopting a blue and white theme to your attire and decor.
We stock LED Balloons which are premium quality latex balloons containing an LED bulb which once activated lasts for hours to decorate your party venue or dining room. We have plain blue, plain white and white with a star design available in packs of 5. If balloons are your thing, we highly recommend our BalloonLite LED string lights to give your balloon displays the wow factor.
We also have pretty battery operated star lights in blue, which look stunning draped over a mantlelpiece, mirror or placed in a glass vase or fishbowl and displayed on the dining table or side table.
Again, our bow ties and neck ties are available in both blue and white, but if your're going for the casual look, then look no further than our new flashing baseball cap. The white high quality cotton cap has a bright blue LED light strip along the rim of the peak and will ensure you stand out.
If you're arranging a children's event then we've got the best glowing range in blues and whites. Our Foam Batons are soft and fun and are available with either white or blue LEDs. We also stock a spinning LED light up baton in blue as well as a pirate sword, and our glittering fibre optic star wands also come in blue too.
But if you really want to get into the spirit then proudly show your appreciation all over your face with our Neon UV Glowing Face Paint and Paint Sticks. Whether you opt for a small flag on your cheek, or you paint your whole face like the Saltire, you won't get a better effect than to wear this paint bright and bold by day, and ultraviolet luminescent at night.
