Celebrate National Tartan Day April 6
Saturday March 29, 2008
Did you know that National Tartan Day is coming up? It's a day when people of Scottish ancestry, like yours truly, get to celebrate our heritage. The date was selected in anniversary of the 1320 signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, which was when Scotland asserted her sovereignty over English territorial claims. The Arbroath signing was an influence on the wording and ideas behind the United States' Declaration of Independence, signed some 450 years later.
In addition to bringing us fine whiskey, bagpipe music, and men in kilts (three sure signs that there are gods in the universe), the Scots have contributed a lot of really neat things to today's modern world. A number of Scottish immigrants came to the Colonies following the battle of Culloden in the 1740s, and settled along the Atlantic coast, later moving west to the Appalachian region.
The first Tartan Day was celebrated in the US in 1997. If you're a teacher or a homeschooler, check out the Educators' Resources on the Tartan Day page for some cool ideas.
In addition to bringing us fine whiskey, bagpipe music, and men in kilts (three sure signs that there are gods in the universe), the Scots have contributed a lot of really neat things to today's modern world. A number of Scottish immigrants came to the Colonies following the battle of Culloden in the 1740s, and settled along the Atlantic coast, later moving west to the Appalachian region.
The first Tartan Day was celebrated in the US in 1997. If you're a teacher or a homeschooler, check out the Educators' Resources on the Tartan Day page for some cool ideas.
Comments
Am a descendant of Clan MacKenzie from Western N.C. (piedmont area east of the Appalachians). Little known fascinating fact is that Scots were among the more aggressive patriots pushing for rebellion against the British. They remembered what happened back home. Now things are pretty much settled and peaceful among mountain folk.
A little know fact is that the tartan is a fairly recent innovation. Clans did not have colors until after some of the more famous battles.
We don’t have to eat haggis, do we ?
Scotland also gave us Ewan McGregor and James McAvoy. MMmmmmmmm ……