Kilts and funerals.

**Hamish** · 21st September 05, 05:07 PM

Normal day dress with a white shirt and black neck-tie (black leather accessories, of course - sporran, belt and shoes) would be appropriate here in the UK. I have attended four funerals in the past twelve months and, at each one, I wore my TFCK grey pinstripe kilt suit with accessories as above.

**Archangel** · 21st September 05, 05:12 PM

Remember my post about Celtic superstition? My coworker of 15 years just had his mother die early this morning. I hate coincidences.

**Graham** · 21st September 05, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by Southern Breeze

Thanks for all the input.My current dress for funerals is a suit and tie,which will soon be replaced by a kilt.I guess my mind was on kilts when I checked those sites a while back. As a minister I probly go to more funerals in a month than most people do their whole life.

I've never conducted a funeral before, but a dear friend of mine is dying of bone cancer and has asked me to do his funeral.
It will be a challenge, and I'll certainly be doing it kilted, so I appreciate the advice on what to wear in this thread.

**Sherry** · 22nd September 05, 03:48 PM

Now this is an interesting thread, as a year or so ago on the TSF forum a couple of Scottish friends said they thought it was never proper to wear a kilt to a funeral unless you were the piper. They are both Lowlanders (one lives in Dunblane, & the other is from Lanarkshire, now living in West Texas). Does that make a difference in their perception of when it's appropriate to wear a kilt?

I had already been wondering about this since reading an article about the funeral for the poor boy in Livingston: http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk...name_page.html

The family asked for everyone attending to please wear tartan, and the boy's older brother was kilted. Sad, but I was currious about it.

Sherry

**Macman** · 22nd September 05, 04:42 PM

Sherry, when I was in a lounge bar in a hotel in Fort William late one afternoon about five years ago, there was a large group of people who had just been to a funeral. Several of the men were wearing kilts, normal day dress as described by many in this thread. None were pipers that I could tell. Maybe it's not as common to wear kilts to funerals in the lowlands.

**jfellrath** · 22nd September 05, 06:58 PM

Seems to me that the most important thing is that you dress respectfully of the situation. That can mean a suit, a kilt and jacket, a sweater and khakis, etc. - as long as it's appropriate to the deceased's family's wishes and demeanor.

I was at a funeral a couple years ago where the deceased's final wishes were that everyone sing the Notre Dame fight song around his grave before he was lowered down. So you never know what sort of funeral you're going to encounter.

We all know that a kilt is a very versatile garment - running the gamut of punk-rock fans to traditionally garbed clan chieftains to athletes to preachers to guys out walking their dogs. The key thing is to dress respectfully for the occasion you're attending.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 22nd September 05, 07:01 PM

[QUOTE=jfellrath]...to guys out walking their dogs.../QUOTE]

Should I walk my dog without my kilt, did I miss a decree or ancient restriction?

**Archangel** · 22nd September 05, 08:15 PM

[QUOTE=KiltedCodeWarrior]

Originally Posted by jfellrath

...to guys out walking their dogs.../QUOTE]

Should I walk my dog without my kilt, did I miss a decree or ancient restriction?

your dog probably shouldn't be wearing your kilt anyway...

you should probably cover your bum...

the full quote is referring "to preachers to guys out walking their dogs". If you're not preaching to dog walkers, it probably doesn't apply...

I've got to go to bed..

**Sherry** · 23rd September 05, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by jfellrath

Seems to me that the most important thing is that you dress respectfully of the situation. That can mean a suit, a kilt and jacket, a sweater and khakis, etc. - as long as it's appropriate to the deceased's family's wishes and demeanor.

I would have to agree.

I was at a funeral a couple years ago where the deceased's final wishes were that everyone sing the Notre Dame fight song around his grave before he was lowered down. So you never know what sort of funeral you're going to encounter.

We all know that a kilt is a very versatile garment - running the gamut of punk-rock fans to traditionally garbed clan chieftains to athletes to preachers to guys out walking their dogs. The key thing is to dress respectfully for the occasion you're attending.

The responses of my two Scottish friends surprised me because I know that here in the US, anyone who is into his Scottish heritage & wears a kilt would most definitely want the showing of tartan at his funeral.

And given the responses of those in the UK on this thread, they don't see any problem with kilts at funerals either. Which makes my friends' responses all the more curious.

Sherry