Hailsa All!

April 6th is National Tartan Day!

Although celebrated in North America for some time, Tartan Day was not recognized by the US government until 1998 when Senate Resolution 155 was passed unanimously.

Tartan Day - April 6th - is a day to honor the contributions, life, heritage and culture of Scottish in America, as well as Canada. Dawn your tartan proudly! Help raise awareness in your community of the great accomplishments of the Scottish in North America. Strengthen your identity; learn about Scottish culture, history and folklore! Support and endorse Tartan Day! We must do what we can to make this day as common as St. Patrick’s Day to the Irish, and Cinco de Mayo to the Mexicans. We owe it to our Scottish Ancestors!

We hope you enjoy the following, which gives a look into Scottish Culture and Heritage, both informative and inspirational!

Honour Scottish Heritage! Celebrate Tartan Day!

Folk Building the Future!
SIGRDRIFA Publications

Proud of our people, Proud of our past!
www.sigrdrifa.net

PS: Click Here to View our Tartan Day Poster!

* The Background of Tartan Day
* Senate Resolution (USA)
* (Some) Famous Scottish Americans & Canadians
* Delicious Traditional Scottish Dishes
* Where Little House Began...
* Recommended Websites
* Tartan Day Poster & Banner

BACKGROUND OF TARTAN DAY

Woodrow Wilson said of the Scots, "Every line of strength in American history is a line coloured with Scottish blood."

The contribution of the immigrant Scots upon North America is massive and these people have remained proud of their heritage.

Numerous groups and societies throughout Canada and America have taken the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320) as their national date to celebrate their Scottish roots.

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), proposed by US Senate Republican majority leader Trent Lott, was passed unanimously.

http://www.tartanday.com/about.htm

TARTAN DAY
Senate Resolution 155
105th U.S. Congress

Whereas April 6 has a special significance for all Americans, and especially those Americans of Scottish descent, because the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on that inspirational document;

Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this Nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, the Governors in 9 of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this Nation through its most troubled times;

Whereas this resolution recognizes the monumental achievements and invaluable contributions made by Scottish Americans that have led to America's preeminence in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, economics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts;

Whereas this resolution commends the more than 200 organizations throughout the United States that honor Scottish heritage, tradition, and culture, representing the hundreds of thousands of Americans of Scottish descent, residing in every State, who already have made the observance of Tartan Day on April 6 a success;

Whereas these numerous individuals, clans, societies, clubs, and fraternal organizations do not let the great contributions of the Scottish people go unnoticed:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate designates April 6 of each year as "National Tartan Day".

(SOME) FAMOUS SCOTTISH AMERICANS AND CANADIANS

Adams, John Quincy ( 1767-1848 ) 2nd President of the United States.

Anderson, Mary - became the first "foreign" woman in California.

Baikie, Margaret - The "Queen For the Day" at the World's Fair in 1933 was a sixteen year old Scottish lassie whose parents were from the Highlands of Scotland.

Bell, Alexander Graham (1847 in Scotland - 1922) Inventor of the telephone.

Bly, Nellie - In 1889, representing the New York World, she attained worldwide celebrity by going around the world in 72 days, at that time a record.

Bowie, James (1796-1836 ) fought and died at the Battle of the Alamo; made the “Bowie” knife famous.

Brown, George (1818-1880) Founder of the Toronto Globe Newspaper.

Byron, Ada - In 1843, the daughter of the half-Scottish poet Lord Byron, wrote a list of instructions for a hypothetical computer theorized by the Englishman Charles Babbage, thus becoming the world’s first computer programmer.

Crockett, David "Davy" ( 1786 - 1836 ) US Congressman from Tennessee , Pioneer, killed at The Alamo with the entire garrison by Mexican Army, an American Legend of his Time.

Edison, Thomas ( 1847-1931 ) His first electric company became General Electric Co. also a Prolific inventor.

Forrest, Nathan Bedford ( 1821-1847 ) "One of the greatest Confederate generals." By European authority he is pronounced the most magnificent cavalry officer that America has produced.

Houston, Sam ( 1793 - 1863 ) Hero of the Texas Revolution, Sam Houston defeated the Mexican Army of Gen Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto and won independence from Mexico. City of Houston is named in his honor.

Jackson, Andrew ( 1767-1845 ) General from Tennessee who became famous for his Victories over the Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend and the Victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans.

MacBean, Marnie Canadian Olympic Hero. Along with her rowing partner, Kathleen Heddle, she made Olympic history in 1996. She and her teammate were the first Canadians to win three gold medals.

Mackenzie, Sir Alexander (circa 1764 -1820) Scottish explorer in Canada.

MacDonald, Jeanette Anna (1903 - 1965) great film star in Hollywood, noted for her soprano voice, from 1929 to 1949.

MacDonald, Sir John Alexander (1815-1891) First Prime Minister of “Dominion of Canada”.

Wayne, John (1906 - 1979) Film star, patriot, American Icon

Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton....Founded Sisters of Charity in Baltimore 1809.

Washington, Martha (1731-1802) - Clan Gordon, wife of George Washington, first president of the United States.

Go to your local library, or surf the net, to learn more about these and other famous, and not so famous, Americans and Canadians of Scottish decent!

DELICIOUS TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH DISHES

Rumbledethumps

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
14 oz potatoes, chopped coarsely
2 oz butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
8 oz cabbage, finely shredded
salt, pepper to taste
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 9 inch pie dish with oil. Place potatoes in pan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, simmer uncovered 8 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain. Rinse under cold water, drain again.

Transfer potatoes to bowl; mash coarsely with a fork.

Heat butter in pan. Add onion, cook over low heat 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Add cabbage, stir 5 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in 2 Tbsp cheese.

Transfer to dish; sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes.

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Scottish Baps

Serve warm with bacon for a hearty start to the day...

Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 12

Ingredients:
1/4 oz sachet dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup lukewarm milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 oz lard or butter; melted
1 Tbsp all purpose flour; extra

Lightly dust two 13 x 11 inch baking sheets with flour. Combine yeast, sugar, and 2 Tbsp flour in bowl. Gradually add milk; blend until smooth. Leave, covered with plastic wrap, in warm place 10 minutes or until foamy. Sift remaining flour and salt in large bowl. Make well in center, add lard or butter and yeast mix. Using knife, mix to soft dough.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead 3 minutes or until smooth. Shape into ball, place in large, oiled bowl. Leave, covered with plastic wrap, in warm place 1 hour or until well risen.

Heat oven to 415 degrees. Knead dough again for 2 minutes or until smooth. Divide into 12 pieces. Knead one portion at a time on lightly floured surface for 1 minute, roll into ball, shape into flat oval. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place ovals onto prepared baking sheets; dust with extra flour. Leave covered with plastic wrap, in warm place 15 minutes or until well risen. Make an indent in center of each oval with finger. Bake 30 minutes until well browned and cooked through. Cool.

Submitted by: Melody

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote 9 Little House books bringing to life the wonders and dangers of her childhood on the American Frontier. Yet, Laura wasn't the only pioneer in her family. There are five generations of Pioneer girls as described in the Little House books. Together, the stories of these five little girls span some of the most exciting years in the US and provide a close-up look at pioneer life and a personal perspective on more than 100 years of American history [and one Scottish family's mark on it!]

The story of Laura's family begins in Scotland in the late 18th century. -- Meet Martha Morse in Little House in the Highlands. Martha Morse, the first of the Little House girls, grew up to be Laura's great-grandmother. A spunky and rebellious redhead, Martha was the daughter of wealthy landowners in the Scottish Highlands. She learned needlework, as did all proper young ladies of her time, but she much preferred exploring the rolling hills around her home with Duncan, her brother and best friend.

As a young woman, Martha fell in love with a blacksmith's son named Lewis Tucker. First, Lewis and then Martha made the long and dangerous sea voyage to the United States - a country, Martha marveled, that was about the same age as she was, having won its war for independence in 1783, the year after she was born. Martha and Lewis began their new life near Boston, Massachusetts, becoming the first of Laura's ancestors to pioneer America.

Meet Martha Morse!
Birthday: January 2, 1782
Birthplace: Scotland
Parents: Allan Alexander Morse and Margaret Drummond Morse
Brothers and Sisters: Grisie, Alisdair, Robbie, Duncan

Activities: sewing, spinning, knitting, thread, playing pianoforte
Chores: sewing embroidery
Dislikes: wearing shoes
Foods Martha ate: haggis, porridge, oatcakes, almond cream
Games Martha played: Picts and Scots
Likes: Listening to songs, listening to stories about America and magical tales about faeries and wee folk, scent of heather
Favorite Songs: "Tintop-Tock" and "I Had a Wee Hen"
Toys: Doll named "Lady Flora"

To learn more about Martha and the books dedicated to her series go to:
http://www.littlehousebooks.com/girls/martha.asp

To download an EXTENSIVE classroom activity guide go to:
http://www.littlehousebooks.com/resources/resources.asp

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RECOMMENDED WEBSITES…..

http://www.tartanday.com

http://www.tartan.tv

http://www.tartans.scotland.net