Robert Burns was born on 25th January in 1759, which makes 25th January 2009 the 250th anniversary of his birth. Widely regarded as the national poet or Bard of Scotland, Burns was the eldest of seven children born to William Burness and Agnes Broun. (Burns was known as Burness until 1786). His father was a tenant farmer from Ayrshire and had little money to educate his children, much of their education being undertaken by their father himself. However, Robert soon showed an aptitude for reading and writing. A tutor, John Murdoch was found for Robert and his younger brother Gilbert to assist in their education. Being the leading farmhand on his father’s 70-acre farm by the age of 15 Burns decided to use his natural literary skills as a relief from the poverty, hard work and drudgery of his life. Much of his early inspiration came from Nelly Kilpatrick who helped with the harvest in 1774 and inspired Burns to write My Handsome Nell.
Burns had an eye for the ladies and his various affairs that bore several illegitimate children did not sit easily with the local church. His father died in 1784 and the running of the farm was taken over by Robert and Gilbert, Robert being more interested in poetry, women and whisky. His affairs of the heart continued and in 1786 Jean Armour, who would eventually become his wife, bore him illegitimate twins. At this time he also had an affair with Mary Campbell and planned to escape the declining farm by emigrating to Jamaica. Campbell died suddenly and Burns published his first collection of verse, ‘Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish dialect’ essentially poems about a broken love affair, that were received with great critical acclaim and would gain Burns national fame. Burns then moved to Edinburgh and became part of the artist and writers community returning to Ayrshire in 1788, and with his new celebrity status was allowed by Jean Armour’s farther to marry her. He took a lease on a farm near Dumfries and wrote perhaps his best-known work Auld Lang Syne. Burns gave up the farm in 1791 but he continued to write, penning some of his greatest work at this time. He died on 21st July 1796 aged 37.
The anniversary of his birth is celebrated around the world with a traditional Burns supper. Ranging from small informal gatherings right up to a huge formal dinner the tradition of the formal feast follows a set pattern. Firstly the guests are piped in by a piper, who continues to play until the top table is ready to be seated. The host then welcomes the guests and a short prayer, the Selkirk Grace also known as Burns’s Grace at Kirkcudbright is recited in Scots. The haggis is then piped in followed by the address to the haggis (a Burns poem) and the toast to the haggis. It is served with the traditional neeps and tatties (mashed potatoes and turnips). Various toasts are observed and the evening ends with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.