Five years after the death of Robert Burns, the first Burns supper was held in his birthplace, Alloway. In July 1801, haggis and sheep’s head were served while a group of the poet’s close friends read his works aloud. Over 200 years later, this celebration of Burns’s life has endured and morphed into a mid-winter tradition of pipe music, poetry and puddings, alongside a hearty helping of haggis, neeps and tatties.
The celebrations aren’t limited to Scotland. Across the UK, restaurants, hotels, pubs and halls breathe some much-needed warmth and life into blustery January evenings with ceilidh dances, haggis piped in and live poetry readings, all to honour one of Scotland’s most famous sons.
