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When is Burns Night?
Burns Night falls on Monday, January 25, 2027.
About Burns Night
Burns Night falls on January 25 every year and celebrates the birthday of Robert Burns (1759–1796), Scotland's national bard. Burns is best known for poems including "Auld Lang Syne", "Tam o' Shanter", "Address to a Haggis" and "A Red, Red Rose". The first Burns supper was held by friends in 1801, on the fifth anniversary of his death. The tradition then shifted to his birthday and has been kept ever since, including by Scots all over the world. A traditional Burns supper is a formal meal built around haggis, served with neeps and tatties, the Scots words for turnips and potatoes. The host recites Burns's "Address to a Haggis" as the dish is brought in, and the evening also features toasts, readings of his poetry and bagpipes. Burns Night is not a public holiday in Scotland, but it is widely observed as a cultural occasion.
The running order of a Burns supper has stayed much the same for two centuries. After the chair welcomes guests, the Selkirk Grace is recited, and the haggis is piped in to the table. The host then delivers the "Address to a Haggis", stabbing it with a sgian-dubh, a small knife, on the words "an cut you up wi' ready slight". The meal follows, and then come the Immortal Memory speech in honour of Burns, the Toast to the Lassies and the Reply from the Lassies. The night closes with "Auld Lang Syne". Burns Cottage in Alloway, Ayrshire, the poet's birthplace, is now part of a museum run by the National Trust for Scotland, and it draws thousands of visitors on and around January 25 each year.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Robert Burns?
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet who lived from 1759 to 1796 and is regarded as Scotland's national poet, often called the national bard. He wrote in Scots and in English, and his work includes "Auld Lang Syne", "Tam o' Shanter", "A Red, Red Rose" and "Address to a Haggis". He also collected and reworked hundreds of traditional Scottish folk songs. Burns was born in Alloway in Ayrshire and worked for years as a tenant farmer. He died at the age of 37, and his birthday on January 25 is now marked each year as Burns Night.
What happens at a Burns supper?
A Burns supper follows a set order that has changed little in 200 years. Guests are welcomed and the Selkirk Grace is said. A piper leads the haggis to the table, and the host recites Burns's "Address to a Haggis" before it is cut open. After the meal a speaker gives the Immortal Memory, a tribute to Burns and his work. This is followed by the light-hearted Toast to the Lassies and a Reply from the Lassies. The evening usually ends with everyone singing "Auld Lang Syne".
Is Burns Night a public holiday in Scotland?
Burns Night is not a public holiday in Scotland. January 25 is a normal working day, with no day off attached to it. The occasion is cultural rather than official, marked through Burns suppers held in homes, restaurants, schools and Scottish societies. It is widely celebrated despite having no formal status, both in Scotland and among Scottish communities around the world. There have been occasional calls to make it a national day for Scotland, but no government has given it holiday status.
What is haggis and why is it eaten on Burns Night?
Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made from sheep's offal, oatmeal, suet, onion and spices, traditionally cooked in a casing made from the animal's stomach. It is eaten on Burns Night because Robert Burns wrote a poem in its honour, the "Address to a Haggis", which praises it as the "great chieftain o' the puddin-race". The poem is recited at every Burns supper as the haggis is brought in. Haggis is usually served with mashed turnip and potato, known in Scots as neeps and tatties.
When was the first Burns supper held?
The first Burns supper was held in 1801, five years after the poet's death. A group of his friends gathered at his birthplace in Alloway to share a meal, recite his poetry and remember him. They held it again in following years, and the date soon settled on his birthday, January 25, rather than the anniversary of his death. The format spread through Burns clubs and Scottish societies during the 19th century, and the supper has been held somewhere in the world every year since.