Allowed tartans

[Mr. MacDougall]

Okay, enumeration, let's see...

MacDougall -- maternal ancestry.
County Cork -- father's mother came from there.
Irish National / Irish-American -- same as above.
Armstrong -- step-father's a Nixon, which is an Armstrong sept.
Arizona -- my home state.
North Carolina -- where I went to college after the Navy.
U.S. Navy -- I'm a veteran
New York City -- I worked and lived there for a year. (On the 18th floor of One World Trade Center, as it happens. I left less than a year before the attack).
MacMedic -- I'm a nurse.
Regan -- Somewhat tenuous, as it's my given name, rather than my family name, but hey, the ITA 4020 is beautiful, and I'm easy.
German national -- mother's father was from there.
German-American Heritage -- Same as above. Plus, I was an exchange student in Germany.

So there's thirteen choices, just off the top of my head, without counting universal tartans.

[ccga3359]

English by birth - nothing. (going back dozens of generations)
Canadian by choice - Maple Leaf (got it)
Ontario - (jonesing)
Desert Camouflage - Regimental (Queen's Own Deserters).

Choice is limited hence why I'm a little offended by the initial statement of this thread. 2¢ and all.

[Kilted-Marine]

Keith - Dad = Dickson
MacIntyre- Mother = Wright
MacDonald -Grandmother was an Alexander

Leatherneck-USMC 1981 - 1993
Army 1993-2002
Navy-USMC is a department of

Maine State -Born and Raised
Cape Breton-My dad lives there
Minnesota State-I live here

[RK-REX]

Mom/Dad- 100% Polish as far as I know. Polish National/Clan MacCaber Tartan. Have been collecting snippets of family history for a few years for a family history to be completed before my death.

Mom/Dad in-law - Walsh/Nee by marriage, County Galway Tartan and a few of the Irish and Irish/American Nationals. I have a 2 inch thick family history to read one of these days and I'm sure I'll find connections to a few other district/county tartans as well.

Me? No ties to Scottish blood as far as I know, although some scholars believe that the Celts inhabited all of continental Europe at one time, so.....

[flairball]

I'l give this a shot, though I'll bet some of my associations won't be too associative (< is that a word?).

MacKintosh- Surname is Rich, traces back as a MacKintosh sept.
USCG - I'm a vet
USA- I'm American
Any other tartan- Because I want to.

[BruceK]

Johnson - family tartan
Marjoribanks - likewise
US Navy - my Dad was in the Navy in WW2
Wallace - cause I likes it
Black Watch - likewise
Braveheart - likewise

[celtiberian]

Russia:
Russians might choose the "Muskoka" or the "Gordon" in honour of the Scottish general who modernized the army of Peter the Great.

...found this info at
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/weartart.htm

[Don Patrick]

Quite a firestorm of opinions expressed at the beginning of this thread. I'm just an old country boy, but I do have some thoughts on the matter.

I haven't worn a tartan, but if I did, I believe I'd have to settle on my own Clan's tartan. I couldn't image wearing that of another surname. I think if I wanted to wear a special color, I opt for one of the unknowns or one of the many more appropriate generic ones.

I see the kilt very akin to a country's flag. There are no rules for determining which flag I fly in my front yard, but I don't believe I've ever flown one based on color or design.

I say that if you can transcend these thoughts of mine, more power to you. You should should go ahead and wear the kilt of your choice, but I'd also say, you should take care to do nothing to dishonor it and the clan for which it stands.

Just my two cents worth.

[Macman]

Russia:
Russians might choose the "Muskoka" or the "Gordon" in honour of the Scottish general who modernized the army of Peter the Great.

...found this info at
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/weartart.htm

That's interesting. I don't know why the website would recommend the Muskoka tartan to Russians, since it's an Ontario district tartan. Anyone know the connection to Russia?

[majdan]

Matt Newsome sums it up best in his article on The Introduction to Tartan on The Scottish Tartan Museum's Website. I would think that the non-Scottish X Marks members who pick a clan tartan that they like, educate themselves on it. I am more confident wearing a clan tartan of my choosing than a country or district or generic tartan, not to say that I don't like them. It is emulating a country and it's heritage. Just like the purists who wouldn't wear a tartan they are not associated with, I won't wear a tartan that is not associated with a clan.

Now that is a take that I've not seen yet. Very cool. There are really no rules so we all have to make up our own. As Cajan Scot always says, "Different Hourses, different courses"

I think that this is one of the basic questions that we all must answer when we start wearing kilts. We all have to figure this one out before we buy our first kilt when it ask "Pick Tartan"

There are no rules so we each have to make our own. The key here is not to inflect our rules on others.

On the list side here it is:

All four Montgomery tartans (My beloved Mum's gift to me. If it wern't for her I wouldn't be engaging this exercise)
US Army- Serving
State of Oregon- Home state and native land
Oregon State University- Graduate (Yes OSU has a hidious Black and Orange Tartan)
US Forces- Same as US Army
USA- Nationality
Irish National- Pop's side of the family
Scottish Heritage- Mom's side
And all of the regional tartans where Montromery and Morris folk live.
And any universial tartan I just like such as Nightstalker.