Burns Night 2021- UoR Student Life
In this guest post for the University of Reading Student Life Blog, I talk about how you can have a safe Burns Night 2021 at home during the lockdown.
What exactly is Burns Night? Burns Night is a festival which commemorates the works of the Scottish national poet, Robert Burns. It is celebrated every year on 25th January across the world. Some of Burn’s greatest works includes the New Year’s song Auld Lang Syne, which was something I only learnt recently. The festival is usually celebrated by going to restaurants that serve Scottish food and watching live performances.
Usually, I recommend learning about different cultures by immersing yourself in it. Be it through travel, going to museums, taking part in events, and tasting the local cuisine. But this year, we will have to spend Burns Night 2021 at home due to the lockdown restrictions. This means you should stay at home, and only go out for essential reasons such as shopping and exercise. So, this post will be slightly different and offer tips on how to have a safe Burns Night at home instead.
Use it as an opportunity to learn more about the Scottish culture and bring out your inner creativity… Make a unique art piece, write a poem, or brave the challenge of cooking a Burns Night supper! Read some of Burn’s poetry such as Address to Haggis and A Red, Red Rose. You can see a great selection of his poems online. I’d be interested to hear in the comments below on what your favourite poem is… You could use them as inspiration to write your own poems too.
If you’re an art enthusiast, bring out your inner artist and sketch some incredible sights from Scotland. You can use paints, pencils, or even biro. I particularly enjoy going to art galleries such as Tate Modern to see unique forms of art from different eras. For instance, sculptures made from recycled items, photography, and pop art… So, experiment with unique forms of art such as pop art, or maybe Avant Garde to name a few. All you need is some pens and paper.
Finally, don’t forget that all-important Burns Night supper too! Traditionally, the supper consists of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (mashed potatoes and turnips), and a variety of whiskies. For the finishing touch, add a selection of high-quality cheeses… Instead of using Deliveroo or Just Eat, bring out your inner chef and cook your own supper. Make your own Neeps and Tatties by boiling some turnips and potatoes, mashing them, and adding butter for creaminess. BBC Recipes has some great recipes for making your own haggis.
If you have dietary requirements such as being vegetarian, you can still take part! For non- drinkers, you can substitute the whisky and cocktails with something non- alcoholic instead. For vegans, you can substitute the haggis for a vegetable or plant based one. You can even get vegan cheese too!
What will you be doing for Burns Night tonight? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Don’t forget to keep safe too by following Government guidelines to protect yourself and those around you.