Address to a Haggis

There are far more au pairs living in Co. Kildare than I originally thought, and we've started meeting at a pub on Monday nights in Newbridge - usually for a pint (or a milkshake), a catch-up from the weekend, and plan-making for the next. 

Two of the au pairs I've recently met, Rebecca and Sarah, are both from Scotland...they only met here, but funnily enough only live 30 minutes apart back home. 

This past weekend was a big holiday for them, so they decided to share their tradition with us!

Scottish poet Robert Burns, who we would know most commonly for his poem Auld Lang Syne, is honored on his birthday, January 25th, known to the Scots (and increasing across the UK) as Burns Supper.

I made hor d'eouvres of puff pastry, brie, apples, and honey.

 Sarah and Rebecca, as the hosts of this event, prepared the Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties, or mashed turnips and boiled/roasted potatoes. The rest of us, as guests, came bearing hor d'eouvres and desserts.

the spread...pre "piping" of the haggis

 The spread was endless! Cheese ball, puff pastries, shrimp dip, crisps, chocolate cookies, carrot cake cupcakes, red velvet cake, muffins, pavlova, Scottish shortbread, Scottish tablet, and of course, the main event, the haggis.

The Haggis!

 Sarah recited the Selkirk Grace,  taught to her by her grandfather (a true Scottish bloke, kilt and all, according to Sarah) and Sarah and Rebecca regaled us with tales of Burns Suppers past - such as the time Sarah's grandfather, during the Piping of the Haggis, (where the haggis is brought to the table accompanied by bagpipes), and the Address to a Haggis recitation, used a sword (instead of the typical sharp knife kept in the host's sock) to split the haggis end to end. Sarah's grandfather ended up cutting through the haggis, through the plate, and then through the table.

neeps and tatties, awaiting the haggis

Sarah then gave a small toast to welcome everyone to the supper and hopes that everyone would enjoy the meal...raise your Irn Bru...and dig in!
Surprisingly, the haggis was delicious! I was well aware of what I was eating (sheep's heart, liver, etc.) but since the girls had already cut the haggis open to serve it (no one saw the sheep's stomach luckily) it was easier to just imagine you were eating a tasty, herbed mince!

Toast to the Haggis, with Irn Bru

After all that food, several drinks (and a few drinking games), I actually had to lie on the hardwood floor to recover! Cue to me, Lisanne, and several of the others sprawled across the floor and couches through out the house in various states of food coma.

Haggis...with Neeps and Tatties

We drank and ate well into the night and then tucked into sleeping bags and air mattresses to sleep off all the calories we consumed. Having never experiences a Burns Supper before, I don't have much to compare it to, but I'd call that a successful evening!

What was left of the cheese ball

Oh, and Friday I chopped my hair off! What once fell to well below my boobs now hangs right below my collar bone. And I love it! Host mom keeps telling me that 2014 is my year of change and that all these little changes I'm making will have a very big effect on who I end up being at the year draws to an end. So here's to Robbie Burns, great food, new friends, and big changes in the year to come!