Electric candles flickered on tables at the The Loft Saturday evening, as members of the Scottish Society and aficionados of Scottish culture gathered for the annual celebration of Burns Nicht.
Burns Nicht commemorates Robert Burns, the 18th-century poet regarded as the bard of Scotland. It is held each year on Jan. 25, his birthday. The anniversary has been honored on Martha’s Vineyard for 38 years, hosted by the Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard.
Chris Scott first attended the event 33 years ago, after moving to the Island. It inspired him to connect with his heritage.
“I was really struck by it,” Mr. Scott said. “I learned a lot about my Scottish heritage and began to do more research.”
Deborah Medders said she appreciated the chance to celebrate the culture.
“I enjoy the gathering of people, whether they’re Scottish or just here for a love of the culture,” she said.
Ms. Medders wore a shawl with the tartan pattern associated with her family.
Alan Renfrew, a Scot from Rhode Island, traveled to the Island with his wife to celebrate Burns Nicht. Mr. Renfrew said there are events in Rhode Island, but they chose to visit a friend on the Vineyard who is a member of the Scottish Society Singers.
Mr. Renfrew said he appreciated seeing his culture celebrated across the globe.
“Having grown up and gone to school in Scotland, you get exposed to a lot of Burns,” he said. “It’s nice to see your background.”
The procession of the haggis, a savory pudding made from sheep offal, is a centerpiece of the evening. Mr. Renfrew stood to join the other men in kilts to follow Dan Peterson who carried the national dish of Scotland to a table in front of the stage. Jamie Douglas accompanied the procession on the bagpipes.
The group gathered in front of the colorful Scottish Society banner — blue symbolizes the sea, white the surf, green the Island and black the mariners lost at sea.
Alan Reekie recited Ode Tae a Haggis, a poem written by Robert Burns, and the Scottish Society Singers performed the Selkirk Grace before the meal was served.
Dinner showcased more Scottish cuisine, including cock-a-leekie (chicken and leek) soup, tatties and neeps (potatoes and turnips), roast beef and chicken, and trifle (a sponge cake dessert).
Mr. Scott and Steve Ewing pulled names for the evening’s raffle and auctioned off a number of prizes, including round-trip tickets from Cape Air, a tasting highlighting the six whiskey regions of Scotland and boat excursions. The money raised goes towards the society’s scholarship fund for Vineyard high school students.
The reciting of Mr. Burns’s work continued over dessert. David Rhoderick read A Man’s a Man for a’ That and the Scottish Society Singers performed a selection of his songs. Ms. Medders, accompanied by Philip Dietterich on keyboard, performed Flowers o’ the Forest as a commemoration of Island community members who had died over the last year.
Dorian Lopes, the president of the Scottish Society, thanked the audience for attending and shared that Burns suppers were a way for him to connect with his family.
“I got into Burns suppers because of my grandfather,” he said. “It’s pretty cool I get to come up here and wear my grandfather’s kilt to these things. This is something that means a lot to me.”
The evening came to an end as the audience sang Auld Lang Syne, written by Robert Burns, and Amazing Grace.
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