Burns Supper 2023
"Some hae meat and canna eat..."
Robert Burns
Burns Supper 2023
The Anglophone Studies' Burns Supper took place on January 27 2023 in the Glaspavillion. Students and staff got together for the traditional dinner to celebrate the life of the Scottish bard. The evening offered the traditional mix of fine Scottish food and drink, poetry, music and literary and linguistic contributions. We would like to thank all participants for offering their valuable time and talent to create a truly unforgettable evening.
Conception, organisation and linguistic contribution: Frauke Milne
Anglophone Studies band: Prof. Christoph Heyl, Prof. Frank Pointner, Stuart Milne
Piper to the dinner: Stuart Milne
Address to a Haggis, creation of the finest Scottish trifles and fairy godmother behind the scenes: Mair Edmunds-Harrington
Contribution on the German reception of Robert Burns: Prof. Christoph Heyl
Staff support: Christian Feser
Student support: Laura Golke, Besa Qalaj, Cara Ruhnau
by A.C. Moll Student review
What do you think about when you get invited to a “Burns Supper”? The Scottish poet Robert Burns and his adventurous life in Edinburgh? The legendary haggis which in Germany seems like a mythical creature, even though it is nothing else than “Labskaus”, just with sheep instead of beef? Or smoky Single Malt and sweet Blend?
Whatever you imagine, the first Burns Supper at the Campus Essen had it all and more. The traditional ode “To a Haggis”, recited by a true Scotswoman who had a colleague pose for the strong and rustic Scotsman, a piper whose songs made every foot tingle and long to dance (and even brought a group of students to think about founding a Scottish Dance Group) and yes, certainly also the „Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!“, the haggis (for tender hearted people also in a vegetarian option).
Drinking whisky, wine and Irn Bru – which, as every true Scot will tell you, is the best medicine against drunkenness – we commemorated the “Scottish Shakespeare”, certainly more civilised than some Scots who gathered around Shakespeare statues this year and bawled “Yer just a shite Rabbie Burns”.
The love for Scotland can unite many cultures, as was seen this evening. Kilts and tartan were worn next to various fashion styles, different mother tongues and nationalities could be observed, as well as Scottish-German spouses. Many students attended because they had been able to enjoy longer stays in Scotland, often due to great support of their professors, and had found their love for this truly romantic country. The unusually high amount of professors from English-speaking countries at our university has made such great experiences, joined now by the Burns Supper, possible.
To forget about the long time until the next Burns Supper, some students will now practice their Strathspeys and Reels, so next year the dancefloor will be eagerly used!