The Protocol

The Protocol

There is indeed a protocol for a Burns supper, an itinerary, an order of events which should be followed (however loosely) but this is only to insure that nothing is omitted from the celebration and should not be viewed as a pompous requirement.

Every Burns night will have a different flavor, but there will be more similarities than differences. The individual tastes of the host and the talents abounding in the company of celebrants will determine the tone of the evening; some are more ribald, others more refined, still others filled with erudition. This is the beauty of this annual event, your group will develop a character and feel that will set your celebration of the bard apart from all others.

The order of events is listed below:

Meet, greet, appetizers, and drinks

This should be brief, allowing all participants to arrive and greet each other, introductions as needed to occur, and providing the host or hostess a short time to finalize all last minute food preparation. A bartender is most helpful to have on hand, they do not need to be particularly skilled, after all most will be partaking of whisky. Just a note here on having lemons and limes pre-sliced, along with maraschino cherries and olives if you are including mixed drinks in your bar offerings.

Appetizers should be light; the meal will be quite satisfying on it’s own.

I usually provide a selection of cheeses, crackers, and a crudite plate. Chips and dips are also good choices. It is helpful if the appetizers are easy to prepare ahead of time so that they may then be set out when guests arrive. I advise keeping this simple and easy to allow you time to welcome your guests.

Gather everyone at the table

If it is a small, very informal group this should be easily accomplished. If your dinner is a large one you should plan on appointing a master of ceremonies to keep things moving along from here forward.
Make sure everyone has a drink with which to accomplish the evenings numerous toasts. You may want to place a bottle or two of whisky, wine, or non-alcoholic beverages for the teetotalers, within easy reach or on the table for guests to help themselves. Glasses should never be empty for a toast!

Grace

Traditionally this is a poem generally attributed to Robert Burns, but which he himself admitted he learned from another older gentleman. It is variously called the Selkirk Grace or the Kircudbright Grace, an it was made famous by Burns who recited it for the Earl of Selkirk near Kircudbright. It is the quintessential grace for most Burns suppers.

Some hae meat and canna eat
And some wad eat that want it
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thankit

Another possibility might be this Burns grace:

Grace Before Dinner

O thou who kindly dost provide
For every creature’s want!
We bless Thee, God of Nature wide,
For all Thy goodness lent:
And if it please Thee, Heavenly Guide,
May never worse be sent;
But, whether granted, or denied,
Lord, bless us with content. Amen!

The grace may be simply read before dinner by a volunteer who has read it through enough times to be comfortable with the pronunciations.

The soup course is usually served immediately after the grace.

Piping in the Haggis (Also called the Parade of the Haggis)

Large gatherings usually hire a piper to lead the parade from the kitchen – playing the tune Brose & Butter. The chef follows with the haggis on a platter held high for all to admire. The procession continues around the the room or dining table until they reach the head of the table where the chef deposits the haggis, on it’s “groaning trencher”, before the master of ceremonies.

Smaller gatherings, or those with no access to a piper, or those who are afraid that bagpipe music might deafen their guests, and set their dog off on a howling spree (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE bagpipe music, but in a family home it can be a bit much!) might want to opt for a recording on a CD or MP3 player. It is helpful to have someone in charge of appropriate timing, and volume for the music.

While Brose & Butter is traditional, and a recording should be easy to locate, you may select another appropriate piece as well.

Address to a Haggis

A word here about this great piece: it can be daunting for the uninitiated. My first year hosting I skipped this, much to my personal chagrin. No one missed it because no one at that first evening had ever attended a Burns night before. But I knew, and the next year I was determined to take it on. I found a video online of a true Scotsman reciting it, watched, listened and learned. I rehearsed for weeks, in the shower, the car, my bedroom, anywhere that I could not be heard! I got the dialect down, worked on my acting skills to produce a forceful delivery complete with hand gestures and flourishes, and committed the piece to memory so well that you could wake me up at 3 a.m. and I was good to recite it. I still had a copy handy that first year in case my nerves got the best of me.

The hardest part is that you cannot be self conscious; you just have to go for it. If you appear confident, trust me, your guests will not question your abilities! Instead they may be astounded that you possess such talent and admire your pluck. It may even inspire another brave soul to give it a go for next year, that’s what happened with me and I was more than happy to share the experience. If you still find yourself faint of heart, there are recordings, fine for the first year; thereafter channel William Wallace and be brave!

There is a line in this poem which reads “An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,” at this point the reciter should plunge a ceremonial dirk, (or a kitchen knife) into the haggis and slice it open. If the haggis is fresh from the oven, don’t forget to cut a tiny slit in it before bringing it to the table to allow steam to escape, otherwise it might spew it’s steaming hot contents onto your guests!

The last line reads “Gie her a haggis!” and at this point glasses should be raised and the company should respond, “Gie her a haggis!” with much enthusiasm as a toast is drunk to the haggis. It helps the first time around to clue in a couple of close friends on this point and others will follow suit.

Meal – Eat up, keep the conversation and the drink flowing.

Interval

After the meal you may want to insert a brief interval while the table is cleared. This gives your guests time to visit the facilities and prepare for the rest of the evenings entertainment. You may want to have the celebrants move to another more casual environment, or if so desired you may remain at the dining table. The host or master of ceremonies needs to maintain the focus and attention of the participants and facilitate the flow for the remainder of the evening.

Speeches

We have included a separate section for Speeches under the Burns Night tab on the main page which is quite detailed and will aid you in making this part of the evening memorable.

Songs , Poems, Games, Dancing, Quizzes

The remainder of the evening may be played by ear. Volunteers may regale your guests with readings of Burns work, most suppers include a reading of Tam O’ Shanter, but again this is up to you. If your group has talented musicians then a few songs may be in order, or if there is room for dancing and your guests are so inclined feel free to include this pastime.

Our group enjoys a quiz every year; this is a fun way to see how much knowledge my guests have gleaned about Robert Burns, and Scotland in general, during the past year. Prizes are given to the one that answers the most questions correctly and to the runner up. Prizes do not have to be expensive; Scottish souvenir trinkets,  books of Burns’ poetry, or even Scottish food items can provide mementos of a fun evening with friends.

The remainder of the evening is conversation, last year two of our participants had just returned from Scotland and we enjoyed looking at their photographs from their trip there.

Dessert and coffee is usually served at this time with alcoholic beverages put away so that guests are in safe condition to drive home at the end of the evening.

Auld Lang Syne and Departure

When the hour arrives, gather to hold hands and sing an acapella version of Auld Lang Syne, it’s not just for New Year’s anymore! I always have printed sheets with the lyrics ready for those that do not know the words (yet).

I have made it a tradition every year to hand out treat bags to each guest as they depart and our goodbyes are said. I purchase cellophane bags which I tie with tartan ribbon. The bags hold individual packs of Scottish shortbread, a Scottish blessing printed out, and a small Scottish themed lapel pin to commemorate the year. I have been very fortunate to find pins every year from an e-bay vendor. This is just a suggestion and certainly not necessary; you could place other small treats or mementos could be chosen as well.  However, it has been fun to see friends return every year sporting their pins from previous dinners on a sash or a Glengarry bonnet.