Robert Burns & Burns Night

By Anna White janvier 06, 2021

Jump To Section:

The Life of Robert Burns

When was Robert Burns Born?
Education & Early Career
Love Affairs & Children
Later Career
Robert Burns’ Most Famous Poems
When did Robert Burns die?
Poetry Themes
Robert Burns Legacy

Burns Night

When is Burns Night?
Burns Night Traditions
Burns Supper Menu
Munro's First Burns Night
Why do Haggis and Burns go together?
Burns Night Whisky

What to wear for Burns Night?

For the Laddies
For the Lassies
For the Table
Test your Burns Night Knowledge

So what do you know about Scotland's most famous poet Robert Burns? We thought we would tell the story so you can attend your Burns Supper fully informed! We also run through everything you need to know before you attend or host your own Burns night.

The Life of Robert Burns

When was Robert Burns Born?

Robert Burns (aka Rabbie Burns) was born on 25th January 1759. Although he spelled his surname Burness until 1786. He grew up in Ayrshire, in the South West of Scotland, on his father, William’s farm.

Education & Early Career

Much of his education was from his father. By the age of 15 Robert was a principle labourer on the farm. During the harvest in 1774, inspiration through his assistant Nelly Kirkpatrick gave way to his first attempt at poetry; O, Once I Lov'd A Bonnie Lass.

'Burns at the Plough' Image credit: National Trust for Scotland, Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

After struggling in farming he became involved in Freemasonry. He was initiated into masonic Lodge St David Tarbolton on 4 July 1781 and was passed and raised on 1st October that same year. In early 1787, he was feted by the Edinburgh Masonic fraternity and named the Poet Laureate of the lodge–a title which has since been accepted by Freemasonry in general. The Edinburgh period of Burns' life was of great consequence, as further editions of the Kilmarnock Edition were sponsored by the Edinburgh Freemasons, ensuring that his name spread around Scotland and subsequently to England and abroad.

Love Affairs & Children

His first child, Elizabeth Paton Burns, was born in 1785 to his mother's servant, Elizabeth Paton, while he was embarking on a relationship with Jean Armour, who became pregnant with twins in March 1786. Burns was eventually married to Jean Armour in 1788 after many family feuds. She gave birth to nine of his children, although only 3 survived infancy.

Jean Armour

Burns took up a job as a bookkeeper on a slave plantation in Jamaica when he came into financial difficulty looking after his family. It was around this time when he fell in love with Mary Campbell and he dedicated the poems The Highland Lassie O, Highland Mary and To Mary in Heaven to her. There are suggestions that they planned to emigrate to Jamaica together after a marriage ceremony but Mary returned home to her parents.

Burns in Love

Further love affairs and romances included Agnes 'Nancy' McLehose and Jenny Clow, Nancy's domestic servant, who bore him a son, Robert Burns Clow in 1788 before he returned to Jean Armour in 1788.

A Poets welcome to His Love Begotten Daughter

Later Career

In April 1786, in need of more money to emigrate, Burns decided to try to publish some of his poems. On 31 July 1786 John Wilson, a local printer in Kilmarnock, published the volume of works by Robert Burns, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish dialect. It was a huge success and he was soon known across the country.

The Scots Musical Museum

His music career began in 1787 when he met James Johnson and the first volume of The Scots Musical Museum was published containing three of Burns’ songs. In 1788 he returned to farming, on a farm near Dumfries, but also trained as an exciseman and so gave up farming in 1791 when he had created a career in Customs & Excise. It was around this time that he was writing at his best, and in November 1790 had produced Tam O' Shanter. He also began writing lyrics for The Melodies of Scotland.

Robert Burns’ Most Famous Poems

His poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), and Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today include A Red, Red Rose; A Man's A Man for A' That; To a Louse; To a Mouse; The Battle of Sherramuir; Tam o' Shanter, and Ae Fond Kiss. Many of Burns' most famous poems are songs with the music based upon older traditional songs. For example, Auld Lang Syne is set to the traditional tune Can Ye Labour Lea, A Red, Red Rose is set to the tune of Major Graham and The Battle of Sherramuir is set to the Cameronian Rant.

When did Robert Burns die?

Rabbie Burns sadly died on 21st July 1796, aged 37, after a dental extraction. He was at first buried in the far corner of St. Michael's Churchyard in Dumfries; however, his body was eventually moved in September 1815 to its final resting place, in the same cemetery, the Burns Mausoleum. Jean Armour was laid to rest with him in 1834.

Robert Burns Mausoleum

Poetry Themes

Burns, a romantic poet, was regarded as the National Poet of Scotland. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language. His themes included republicanism, radicalism, Scottish patriotism, anticlericalism, class inequalities, gender roles, commentary on the Scottish Kirk of his time, Scottish cultural identity, poverty, sexuality, and the beneficial aspects of popular socialising. The strong emotional highs and lows associated with many of Burns' poems have led some to suggest that he suffered from manic depression.

Robert Burns Legacy

Burns clubs have been founded worldwide. The first one, known as The Mother Club, was founded in Greenock in 1801 by merchants born in Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns. The club set its original objectives as "To cherish the name of Robert Burns; to foster a love of his writings, and generally to encourage an interest in the Scottish language and literature." The club also continues to have local charitable work as a priority.

Burns' birthplace in Alloway is now a public museum known as Burns Cottage. His house in Dumfries is operated as the Robert Burns House, and the Robert Burns Centre in Dumfries features more exhibits about his life and works. Ellisland Farm in Auldgirth, which he owned from 1788 to 1791, is a museum and working farm.

Burns Cottage Museum- image source National Trust for Scotland

The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to honour Burns with a commemorative stamp, marking the 160th anniversary of his death in 1956. Burns is pictured on the £5 banknote (since 1971) of the Clydesdale Bank, one of the Scottish banks with the right to issue banknotes. On the reverse of the note there is a vignette of a field mouse and a wild rose which refers to Burns' poem To a Mouse.

Robert Burns Stamps

In September 2007, the Bank of Scotland redesigned their banknotes, and Robert Burns' statue is now portrayed on the reverse side of new £5. In 2009, the Royal Mint issued a commemorative two pound coin featuring a quote from "Auld Lang Syne".

Burns Night

When is Burns Night?

Burns Night is celebrated on 25 January with Burns Suppers around the world. The first Burns Supper in The Mother Club in Greenock was held on what they thought was his birthday on 29 January 1802, but in 1803 they discovered from the Ayr parish records that the correct date was 25 January 1759. The evening was devised by Paul Hamilton who designed the evening to resemble a masonic meeting, full of pomp and ceremony, haggis and whiskey. For the longest time, it has been assumed that, bucking with the convention of the times, a woman was present at this first Burns’ Supper. Don’t worry, the offending woman was actually a man, the confusion has arisen owing to the fact that this man was named Primrose Kennedy. The lack of women probably encouraged the evolution of one of my favourite parts of a Burns’ Supper, the toast to the lassies, but more on that later. Women or none, what is clear is that the original nine attendees had such a great time at their first Burns Night that they wanted to do it again, and again.

Burns Night Traditions

The format of Burns Suppers has not changed since it was first celebrated. The basic format starts with a general welcome and announcements, followed with the Selkirk Grace. After the Grace comes the piping and cutting of the haggis, where Burns' famous Address To a Haggis is read and the haggis is cut open. The meal is served and then the reading called the "Immortal Memory", an overview of Burns' life and work, is given. "Toast to the Lassies" follows, which is a thanks to the ladies for preparing the food and to toast the lassies in Burns' life. "The Response" is then given; and the event usually concludes with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Food and drink are essential ingredients of any good Burns Night. We have put together a simple and traditional Burns Night menu below which is sure to impress your guests.

Starter - Cock-a-leekie soup and Cullen Skink are both starters that you might find at a traditional Burns Supper and are sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.

Cullen Skink- Image source Alfred Enderby

Main Meal - Traditionally haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) form the main meal at a Burns Night, with the haggis a focal point of the whole supper.

Burns Night Haggis

Dessert - We would recommend finishing off your Burns Night with a traditional Scottish dessert such as Cranachan.

Cranachan- Image source Great British Chefs

If you have an extra sweet tooth like me you might want a wee treat for later, we would highly recommend making you and your guests a Chocolate Haggis. Yes, you heard me right! A haggis made out of chocolate, you can read our blog and discover the origin and most importantly the recipe.

Chocolate Haggis