Robert Burns was a Scottish poet during the 18th century and is known as Scotland's national poet.
Every year on his birthday, the 25th January, people celebrate his life by holding a Burns Supper. At this supper we eat haggis, neeps and tatties (neeps is a Scottish word for turnip, and tatties is a Scottish word for potatoes).
Before eating the meal, the guests join together to say a special grace:
Some hae meat an
canna eat,
And some was eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae let the Lord be thankit.
Translation:
Some have meat and cannot eat,
Some cannot eat that want it;
But we have meat, and we can eat,
And so let the Lord be thanked.
After the meal the guests often take part in a ceilidh.
Burns is best known for writting poetry in the Scots language. My favourite of his poems is called 'To a Mouse'. According to legend, Burns was ploughing in the fields and accidentally destroyed a mouse's nest, which it needed to survive the winter. In fact, Burns's brother claimed that the poet composed the poem while still holding his plough.
Happy Burns Day!
