Cancelled Robert Burns Supper

The Burns Supper celebrates the work of Robert Burns, one of Scotland’s most renowned poets. Beyond that, the Burns Supper lauds the art and culture of Scotland through its music and food. It’s a unique opportunity to have a cultural experience without traveling abroad.

“I went to my first Burns Supper nine years ago and fell in love with the whole concept,” said Teton Skye member and event organizer Eric Laing. “I loved the music, the poetry, the culture.”

Burns Supper events have a history that dates back to the early 1800s when 21 of the poet’s friends gathered to celebrate his life and work. Burns is regarded as one of Scotland’s greatest poets, and his poetry and songwriting have touched people all across the globe.

“If you’ve ever sung ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve, Burns wrote that song,” Laing said. “He wrote thousands of poems, and a lot of his poetry was targeted on the way things should be. He loved ladies and wrote all sorts of romantic stuff, too. But a lot of his thoughts on the freedom of men and their inalienable rights and equality – a lot of that philosophy influenced the beginnings of the American revolution and made its way into the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”

Laing said Burns Suppers pay tribute not only to the poet and his work but also to Scottish tradition and culture. Even the food helps to celebrate the tenacity and resourcefulness of the people of Scotland.

“Haggis is eaten in remembrance of surviving hard times together,” Laing said. “Scots weren’t allowed to own their own land. The Scottish people tended to be very poor and if they were raising sheep, their English landlords would come and take all the good parts of the sheep and leave what was left over: the entails and the organ meat.”

“Scots would take that, grind it up, add oats, seal it inside a sheep’s stomach and cook it that way,” he added. “It became a way for them to stay alive. So haggis became a kind of badge of honor for having survived some of those difficult times. Scots still eat it but it’s in remembrance of days long past and hard times overcome.”

Along with the dinner, the Burns Supper will include readings of Burns’ poetry, salutes to the lads and the lassies, and Celtic music provided by Teton Skye. Laing said the event might also be a way for people to dig into their own pasts.

“I think there’s a real desire for people to get back to their roots and to understand where they come from,” said Laing. “A lot of people have Scottish heritage. The Scots were scattered far and wide. (The Burns Supper) is a great way to find out about your heritage. It really is a celebration of Scottish heritage and culture.”

“This will be the second year in our beautiful new location at The Waterfront, which has much easier parking and accessibility.” said Laing.

Also returning this year will be professor  Trenton B. Olsen  to give the Immortal Memory Toast. Olsen is an English professor at BYU-Idaho, editor of The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson, and president of the Stevenson Society of America (est. 1915), which owns and operates the   Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum  in Saranac Lake, New York.

Tickets are still available to Teton Skye’s Robert Burns Supper and can be purchased at https://tetonskye.net/robert-burns-supper. The event is set for Thursday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at The Waterfront, 1220 Event Center Drive in Idaho Falls. Kilts and semi-formal attire are encouraged.