Robbie Burns

The past week has been a busy one for travel. A number of the local Masonic Lodges have hosted a toast to the Scottish bard. At each, following the piping of the Haggis, is the highlight of the the evening, a recitation of Burns' "Address to a Haggis." At two of these events, a Scot, with full brogue, did the honours of dispatching the Haggis in fine form, however, in my opinion, the Address offered by a Brother of Czechoslovakian descent was by far the most theatrical. He did a truly magnicificent presentation!

For the uninitiated, haggis is a sausage product, made with organ meats, oatmeal, onion, suet & spices, placed in a sheep's stomach, and steamed or boiled. It would have been traditional food for many Scots in the mid-18th century, as many tenant farmers scraped a meagre living from the farms they rented. It is traditionall served with turnips and pototoes, two other readily available foodstuffs that grew and could be stored fairly easily in Scotland's climate.

The Wikipedia contains a useful entry on Haggis and Burns' Suppers if you wish to learn more.