Scotland tradition comes to town

Just a few weeks ago, when the clock struck midnight, ushering in a new year, people in towns and cities all over the country, all over the world for that matter, broke out in song.

“Should old acquaintances be forgot . . .”

The question is, how many people know who wrote those words?

Those famous words that became the New Year’s standard, Auld Lang Syne, came from the pen, most likely a quill one, of Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. Burns said he was actually capturing the words from an old man.

Burns was born on Jan. 25, 1759, in Scotland. His father died in 1784, leaving his son to run a not-too-successful family farm. Just before his father’s death, Burns began writing poetry for himself and friends. He eventually published a book of his creations titled Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, in 1786. It became a hit in Scotland.

Burns died at the young age of 37 in 1796 leaving behind a legacy of being the national poet of Scotland. Five years after his death, friends held a “Burns Supper” to mark the fifth anniversary of his passing. It was an enormous success and was soon duplicated every year across the globe to honor Burns’ life, words and reputation as being a bit of a rebel.

For 24 years, the Country Squire Restaurant and Winery has hosted its version of a Robert Burns Supper. This past Saturday’s event featured the Port City Pipes along with the traditional dinner of “Haggis, Neeps and Tatties,” followed by a selection of more American-known entrees for the packed banquet hall.

The Country Squire is owned by Iris Lennon who is a native of Scotland.