Doin' anything for St. Andrews?

[freep]

I'm having some friends over for neaps and tatties, and as I'm in the Southwest, a bit of fusion cuisine--haggis tacos. I'll let you know how that last works out.

[Jock Scot]

Its not something that many get too excited about in Scotland and in my part of the world I doubt that many will even give it a passing thought. Thank you for reminding me!

[Father Bill]

Yes, off to the Cathedral for ordinations. Perhaps I'll wear my kilt under my robes.

[RectaPete]

Maybe some haggis and Irn Bru for my lunch. As Jock says, it's never been a big deal in Scotland and I reckon 90% of England don't even know it's tomorrow.

[GrainReaper]

I'm hosting a gathering today as tomorrow has everyone busy with work, having haggis, neeps, tatties, good company, and good conversation!

[GrainReaper]

I'm having some friends over for neaps and tatties, and as I'm in the Southwest, a bit of fusion cuisine--haggis tacos. I'll let you know how that last works out.

I'd bet haggis tacos will be great, not too far off from many other taco/burro filling I'm thinking al pastor, cabeza, or lingua tacos

[The Q]

I'd agree with Rectapete and Jock, most in England don't know when St Georges day is let alone St Andrews. St Patricks is the only one celebrated, strangely many magistrates who authorise extended opening hours in pubs will allow them for St Patrick's but not St Andrews or St George's in England.

[Mael Coluim]

Monday evening our local Scottish Society will be gathering at Park Lane Tavern to celebrate St. Andrew's Day. Yes, many also in the USA don't have a clue about St. Andrew's Day, but we do and we are going to celebrate.

[freep]

We're doing it up today. The others have to work, silly people.

I was looking at doing a clootie dumpling but that's going to require a test run. Sounds complex and there's ingredient substitution to be considered. Walker's shortbread instead.

I'm given to understand the St. Patrick's Day festivities are much more extensive this side of the pond than in Ireland. I suppose all the saint's days have lost currency in the old countries, while over here they express a longing for that we've p'raps never known. In Cymreag they have a word for it, Hiraeth.

Hiraeth
(©Tim Davis, 2007)

Hiraeth is a Cymraeg (Welsh) word which doesn't translate well into English. It is a deep longing for home. This poem makes an attempt at defining it. It is pronounced with two syllables. The first is like the English here except that the r is stronger. The second syllable is like how a mathematician would pronounce i-th as in the ith row of a matrix. You could also say eye-th.
With a last name of Davis, it should be no surprise that my Davis ancestor was born in Wales in the early 1600's. I found this out several years after writing this poem. The westward theme is in the poem because going home to Cymru (Wales) means traveling west (from, say, England).


Hiraeth beckons with wordless call,
Hear, my soul, with heart enthrall'd.
Hiraeth whispers while earth I roam;
Here I wait the call "come home."

Like seagull cry, like sea borne wind,
That speak with words beyond my ken,
A longing deep with words unsaid,
Calls a wanderer home instead.

I heed your call, Hiraeth, I come
On westward path to hearth and home.
My path leads on to western shore,
My heart tells me there is yet more.

Within my ears the sea air sighs;
The sunset glow, it fills my eyes.
I stand at edge of sea and earth,
My bare feet washed in gentle surf.

Hiraeth's longing to call me on,
Here, on shore, in setting sun.
Hiraeth calls past sunset fire,
"Look beyond, come far higher!"

[Arnot]

I'll be finishing the kilt I have been working on for myself. I had to set it aside for a while to make a kilt and piper's plaid for a local pipe major.