Burns Night is celebrated, every year on 25th January, especially in Scotland, because it commemorates the birth, life and works of their national poet, Robert Burns. Born 25.1.1759 in Alloway Scotland. He was the son of tenant farmers, but he was not keen on farm work, he found it very boring as well as bad for his health. He started writing poetry and songs to alleviate his boredom.
Burns wrote in a many different ways from: epistles to friends, ballads, and songs including :
To a Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough (1785)
Address to a Haggis (1786)
Tam o' Shanter (1790)
A Red, Red Rose (1794)
He is well known for the over three hundred songs he wrote which celebrate love, friendship, work, and drink with often hilarious and tender sympathy. He was much loved for his rebellion against orthodox religion and the morality of the day. His love of wine, women and song was notorious.
He is also affectionately known as Rabbie Burns, the National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire and the Ploughman Poet as well as various other names and epithets. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide.
Some consider his best known poem as ‘Auld Lang Syne’, sung by all at midnight new year's eve-day. Some believe he did not write it himself, but he was the first person credited with writing it down for posterity as part of his attempt to preserve Scottish traditional songs.
How Burns Night is Celebrated
Burns Night celebrations centre on the entrance of the haggis (a type of sausage made from a sheep's stomach) on a large platter to the sound of ceremonial bagpipes. When the haggis is on the table, the host reads the "Address to a Haggis". At the end of the reading, the haggis is ceremonially sliced in two, laced with "a wee dram" (or not so wee) ie a generous tot of a fine old malt whisky. It is traditionally served with mashed turnips and mashed potatoes.
In his later life he did much to preserve the ancient songs of Scotland. He died on – 21.7. 1796 in Dumphries aged 37.