Burns Night Fancy Dress Clothes England

Fancy dress costumes for Burns Night

18th January 2010

The 25th January is Burns Night (Burns Nicht), and up and down the length of the country millions gather at Burns suppers to celebrate the birthdate of the great poet Rabbie Burns.

If you too are off to one this year, do it in style. There is a great range of Scottish Fancy Dress Clothes for those of you without a formal kilt or dress in the wardrobe.

We love this Fat Bastard costume from the Austin Powers film. Comprising an inflatable nylon bodysuit with zipper fastener to rear, pull tie arms and leg seals and elasticated neck seal with a small battery operated fan which inflates the costume for that fat feel. A fur bearskin hat, attached sporran and belt are also included. This one size costume costs £42.99, is ideal if you want to be just that little bit different and let's you eat exactly what you want too!

For the lassies, this sexy Scottish Highland Fling Costume includes a short red tartan dress with a white lace trim and an attached green velvet effect jacket, also featuring white lace cuffs, a green velvet effect tam o'shanter hat with a red pom pom and a red tartan trim and a pair of panties! Available in three sizes - small (8-10), medium (12-14) and large (16-18) it is on sale online for £28.99.

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Burns Night

The birth date of Robert Burns is celebrated with the Burns supper. After the host has welcomed the guests to the table, grace is said prior to the meal (usually the Selkirk Grace):

The Selkirk Grace
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

The supper then starts with the soup course.

Entrance of the haggis

This is the highlight of the supper. The haggis is brought in ceremoniously on a large platter, accompanied by a piper. The haggis is placed at the top table, then addressed with the following poem:

Address To A Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm,
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dicht, (the speaker draws and cleans a knife at this point)
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,(the speaker cuts the haggis from end to end)
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit" hums.

Is there that o're his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect scunner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whistle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thristle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

The haggis is traditionally served with tatties and neeps (potato and turnip). A dessert course, cheese courses, coffee, etc. may also be part of the meal.

And it is all washed down with liberal tots of the "water of life" (uisge beatha) – Scotch whisky.