How Scotland Celebrates International Tartan Day
Scots celebrate Tartan Day on the 6th of April every year. This day is significant in Scotland and other countries where Scots settled during and after the Highland Clearances. As a historical entity, tartan now serves as an identity for Scots, and which is why they wear it proudly. Having a day affiliated with tartan reveals how important it is, and that’s what we will talk about today. We will discuss some valuable tips to celebrate the day of tartans in Scotland. So, without lingering on, let’s start!
What is National Tartan Day
Tartan Day, or International Tartan Day, is an event or day to celebrate Scottish culture and heritage. Doubtlessly, tartan is a garment identical to Scotland, but the day affiliated with tartan started to be celebrated in Nova Scotia, Canada. When was Tartan Day? This query is quite common. The First celebration took place on the 6th of April 1987. With time, the day became popular worldwide, including in Scotland.
Tips To Celebrate This Day
How to celebrate Tartan Day? Scots have many ways to observe this particular day, with a primary motive being to stay connected to their tradition. They dress themselves in their traditional attire on this day and participate in the Tartan Day parade that takes place from Scotland to Nova Scotia and New York. Similarly, they listen to local music and make local dishes. Have a look at the
Participate In the Tartan Day Parade
There are some Tartan Day Festivals, including the Tartan Day parade, Highland Dancing, etc. The parades specified for this Day are held in all the major cities in Scotland. Similarly, in many other countries where Scots reside, such as the USA, Canada, Australia, etc, these parades are held. People participate there wearing tartan kilt with their clan fellows. Many musicians and bagpipers parade on the roads, singing their traditional songs. Remember, it is not essential to be a Scot to participate. Scots welcome everyone to promote their heritage.
Put on a Tartan Kilt
Tartan kilts have become a routine dress for the Scots; however, on this specific Day, they wear their traditional tartan rather than universal tartans. If you are planning to celebrate this day and don’t have a tartan kilt, consider purchasing one, whether you are a Scot or not. Wear it until the parade or the event continues, and doing so will Cherish locals. It will be a better idea to put on other attachments as well, like sporrans, hose, ghillie brogues, etc.
Educate People About Tartan
Scots struggled a lot to keep their heritage alive. Let’s move back to the Highland Clearances for a while when many people were removed from their homelands for some reason. Scots then kept their culture alive rather than adopting the lifestyles of the people who hosted them. So, being Scots, they considered it their responsibility to let others know about the sacrifices they made but did not let the culture disappear.
It might be challenging to educate people since gathering many is challenging. However, an array of resources has made things easier. Social media is a common example. It helps their voice reach other parts of the world in seconds. Plus, they also arrange a small gathering of buddies at their homes and tell them about the tartans and sacrifices their ancestors made.
Listen to Traditional Scottish Music
Among different ways to celebrate the Day of Tartans, listening to traditional Scottish music may also be a great idea. Folk music has been their favorite for a long time. They have been using various instruments, like bagpipes, accordion, tin whistle, and fiddle.
Besides playing Scottish music, they listen to some traditional songs. They also sing some songs that talk about tartan kilts and other related historical aspects. Likewise, listening to songs that discuss the tradition of Scotland, like Ally’s Tartan Army, Jeeli’s piece song, etc., makes your day.
Make Traditional Scottish Dishes At Home
Making cultural dishes on traditional days is an excellent idea. So, they celebrate International Tartan Day by cooking and enjoying conventional Scottish dishes. Haggis is a national dish Scots cook and serve to their Scottish and non-Scottish mates.
Similarly, Scottish porridge, seafood, Scot whisky, cranachan, and traditional Scottish tablets are familiar entities. People find it pleasing to remember their history while consuming these traditional dishes.
Participate In National Scottish Dance Events
Dancing is part of Scottish heritage; they even have their traditional dances. Let’s share a fantastic fact related to dancing and kilts. Initially, only men used to wear kilts, and women started wearing them in the 19th century. They wore kilts at a dancing event for the first time.
Scotland has been hosting different dancing events for centuries. Some common examples are ceilidh, step dancing, Scottish country dancing, and Highland dancing. Most of these events are held on this particular day, and participants wear their traditional tartan kilt.
Conclusion
Since 1987, Tartan Day has been observed every year on the 6th of April worldwide to appreciate Scottish culture. Initially, Canadians celebrated the day and chose the date wisely because it was also the day of the “Declaration of Arbroath.” With time, the Scots scattered worldwide started to observe it, and then the event succeeded in registering its name in the calendars of various countries. Regarding the ways to celebrate this special Day, there are different ideas, from participating in Scottish parades to dancing events.
