Mapping the world of Burns Suppers by Scott Aitken
H
e is Scotland’s national bard and international icon whose life and legacy is commemorated every year on 25 January with haggis, whisky and poetry. Ever since the first memorial supper was held by close friends of Robert Burns to mourn his passing the tradition they started in 1801 has morphed into a worldwide annual event celebrating Scotland’s distinctive heritage and culture.
It is estimated that over nine and a half million people around the world take part in a Burns Supper every year. Now, academics at the University of Glasgow plan to pull together a worldwide map of contemporary Burns Supper activity. For the first time ever they will create a digital resource of events, past and present, with detailed information on format, food and drink products used, speeches, toasts, and all elements of the performance by men, women and children throughout the various diverse communities involved.
Through the generosity of Frank and Susan Shaw of Atlanta, the research project, which starts this year and will run until 2022 is being carried out by the Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS), which has the world’s largest concentration of Burns experts. Professor Gerard Carruthers, Co-Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies based at the University’s College of Arts, will be leading The History of the Burns Supper project. “Robert Burns is a writer whose life and work have given rise to
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History & heritage - Mapping the world of Burns Suppers
Photo by Kenny Lam / VisitScotland Burns Cottage
