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Archiver > SCT-ROXBURGH > 2002-05 > 1021928976


From: Thistle <>
Subject: [SCT-ROXBURGH] Re: Tartan Day history
Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 17:11:06 -0400
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In-Reply-To: <004a01c1fa2d$36eda1e0$202ecf18@default>


Tartan Day was first a Canadian holiday, not American.
On December 19th 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans &
Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution
proclaiming April 6th as Tartan Day, following the example of other
Canadian provinces.
America followed suit on March 20th 1998, when Senate Resolution 155
(S.Res. 155)
"This resolution recognizes the monumental achievements and invaluable
contributions made by Scottish Americans "
I'm sure the Canadian version is much the same. Bagpipes and tartan are not
mentioned in the resolution.

I'm sure we can ample instances of embarrassing people in every country and
culture. I'm also sure it doesn't serve any purpose in helping people to
understand their heritage, nor what this TD holiday is really about. Plenty
of Scottish people (and ex-pats in Canada) have issues about other Scots
(Highlanders, lowlanders, Campbells, MacDonalds, etc etc etc) - doesn't
make them an authority or even right. It's just who they were individually.
The people of Canada and later America that promoted this to become a
holiday are Scots and people of Scottish descent who are proud of what the
ones who left Scotland did in the world.

Peggy




>" In the 21st century, when we promote
>Scotland in the USA, we call in the bagpipers and dream up something called
>Tartan Day."
>
>always been some kilted big beer bellied man amongst the passengers. The
>
>they needed to distinguish themselves by being cross-dressers.
>
>spoke Gaelic in their homes. My grandmother, who was born in Canada, and a
>three generations from immigration, had the strong opinion that people not
>from the highlands, were not really "Scottish", and that those on the

>Tartan day, indeed.
>Bob

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