Ponderings of an ancient Scot.

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Originally Posted by Jock Scot
GREAT! Now here is the crunch Question! "Is it now time for the non Scots to START to wear their own (non Scots) tartans?"

... I really hope that the kilt wearers of the future, with distant, or non Scots connections, will move on to new tartans and leave the clan tartans to the Scots. Thoughts ladies and gentlemen?

I am a forth generation Kiwi, who's family has always been involved with pipe bands and Caledonian societies, from a part of the country where Predominantly, the Jocks settled on arriving here.

I grew up seeing and only knowing about one tartan "belonging" / being associated to the family name. I am also a fifth generation serviceman, and wear the Cunningham tartan, as not only a connection to my past, but to celebrate those sacrifices and hardships of service. And due to that quite the tradionalist, in some respects.

To my point, my son is a mix of European and Chinese blood, his mother, my wife is half Chinese, and half European (Scottish/Irish) (if you were doing proportions)(which is another reason this country is great)

He may feel that because he is of mixed origins, he maybe slightly at odds with wearing the Cunningham tartan at all, and even then he may not wish to celebrate his origins by wearing a kilt.
(I have no problem with that at all, but shorts, jandals and a wife beater singlet, does not make a grand national attire.)

But if he did, I personally feel that I may try and steer him to wear the New Zealand Tartan. Which as time goes on, will I feel be more appropriate for someone of his generation to wear.

(Brian Beedee, has one in this tartan, couldnt find that post)

http://www.tartansofnz.com/index.php?page=information

I find myself tending to agree with your comment, that it might be time for those of us, so removed from their origins, to take it on the chin, and wear tartans of their country, provinces and or state for the yanks etc.

As I have never had to face that problem,I stand to be corrected here, but as far as I am aware there is nothing stopping you from returning here, apart from the "normal hoops and jumps" that any visitor wishing to take up residence here has to endure. Perhaps I am being naive?

You can keep your country (no offence), I have the greatest one in the world to call home and wouldnt live anywhere else.

It already does, if you're a Kiwi and play rugby!

Japan has John Kirwan (not that it helped the I ties much) as coach and about half a dozen Kiwi's playing for the national team now (gestimate).