Kilt Wearers Calendar

[Colin]

April 6 -- Celebration of Tartan Day approved by the US Senate, in recognition of the monumental achievements and invaluable contributions made by Scottish Americans. (1998)

Canada has been celebrating "National Tartan Day" since 1993. The idea and motivation for creating a similar American holiday was provided by the Scottish Coalition, a group of national Scottish- American cultural organizations.

http://www.tartanday.org/history.htm
http://www.electricscotland.com/tartnday.htm

Let's not forget Samhain in October (now mostly known as Halloween) http://www.celticspirit.org/samhain.htm

July 22nd Stornoway born Alexander MacKenzie made it across Canada, becoming the first white person north of Mexico to reach the Pacific by crossing overland. Almost a decade before Lewis and Clark.
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/2/6/h6-221-e.html
http://www.amvr.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark

[Kilted KT]

this is quite an impressive list we have going here...

Not to ruin the fun, but would it not be easier to say "if the day ends with "y" you can wear the kilt?"

[Colin]

I also want to point out that we have an Xmarks Calender found on the Portal page on the left hand side http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/calendar.php
Please enter any dates that you think important, so we can all remember them. Threads often get lost as new ones appear, so adding to the calender would be great.

[Kilted KT]

P1M, thanks for clearing up what on earth Boxing Day was! I always thought it was some silly excuse to get out of work!

[Caradoc]

P1M, thanks for clearing up what on earth Boxing Day was! I always thought it was some silly excuse to get out of work!

More on Boxing Day (Wikipedia)

[billmcc]

Let's not forget Samhain in October (now mostly known as Halloween) http://www.celticspirit.org/samhain.htm

Here are all 8 celtic holidays:

February 2 Imbolc (Candlemas)
March 21 Ostara (Spring/Vernal Equinox)
April 30 Beltane (May Eve)
June 21 Midsummer (Summer Solstice, Litha)
August 1 Lughnasadh (Lammas)
Sept 21 Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox)
October 31 Samhain (All Hallows Eve)
Dec 21 Yule (Winter Solstice)

[Morris at Heathfield]

Here are all 8 celtic holidays:

February 2 Imbolc (Candlemas)
March 21 Ostara (Spring/Vernal Equinox)
April 30 Beltane (May Eve)
June 21 Midsummer (Summer Solstice, Litha)
August 1 Lughnasadh (Lammas)
Sept 21 Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox)
October 31 Samhain (All Hallows Eve)
Dec 21 Yule (Winter Solstice)

While the ancient Celts may have celebrated the solstices and equinoxes (I'm not certain they did), the names "Ostara", "Yule", and "Litha" are all decidedly Germanic (as are most of the more recognizable names, of course).

And I'm shocked the science teacher who posted earlier in this thread neglected to mention James Clerk Maxwell, born on June 13, 1831 in Edinburgh. I know science is a group effort, but I think you could make the case that Maxwell practically invented the 20th century as we knew it with his theory of electromagnetism. Less notable, but still of interest, Maxwell produced the first color photograph in 1861...of a tartan ribbon.