Tag: Scotland

Greyfriar’s Bobby Day!

When we were in Scotland a couple years ago, we walked to Edinburgh Castle and back from hotel a couple times. I had never heard of Greyfriar’s Bobby until our bus tour the second day although we had walked by the statue 3 times already! On our 4th pass-by, we saw several people taking pictures …

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Today is…National Shortbread Day

Shortbread is a classic Scottish dessert  traditionally made with: 1 part white sugar (I use powdered) 2 parts butter 3 parts flour (I usually use rice flour) And a bit of salt Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture which is caused by its high-fat content, provided by the butter.   “Shortening” is …

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First Foot on Hogmanay

  In Scottish folklore, the first-foot is the first person to enter the home of a household on New Year’s Day and a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. Although it is acceptable in many places for the first-footer to be a resident of the house, they must not be in the house at …

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Lockerbie Anniversary

  The Lockerbie Cairn, through its 270 blocks of red Scottish sandstone, memorializes the 270 lives lost in the terrorist attack on the United States when Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed Dec. 21, 1988, over Lockerbie, Scotland. It is a gift of the people of Scotland to the people of the United States, financed …

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December 18

I was always very proud of my paternal grandmother.  In the early part of the last century she had been living in Scotland with her husband and they had a young son – my father.  My grandfather was in the Black Watch during World War I, and he was killed in Peshawar, India. My grandmother left …

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Tartan Day: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Scotland

I have my Black Watch tartan ready to go to wear at the parade in New York whenever COVID allows…     Don’t be surprised if you see people decked out in tartan this weekend. Today, April 6, the United States is celebrating National Tartan Day. The day is intended to recognize the contributions of …

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Tartan Week!

April 6 is National Tartan Day. This is an official national holiday which kicks off Tartan Week. National Tartan Day honors all the Scottish heritage that flows through this nation. From its earliest beginnings, Americans with Scottish ancestry endeavored for that freedom as much as any American.  It was in their blood. It was 400 …

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April 6: National Tartan Day

NATIONAL TARTAN DAY April 6 is National Tartan Day. This is an official national holiday. April 6th has been designated as National Tartan Day, a day for celebrating Scottish heritage and pride. The New York Tartan Day Parade is usually held the Saturday nearest Tartan Day. The 2017 18th Annual New York Tartan Day Parade …

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My Ringtone: Scotland the Brave

“Scotland the Brave” (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Àigh) is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. My cellphone ringtone is Scotland the Brave. At any event or rehearsal, everyone knows it’s my phone, if one is ringing 🙂  I posted a bit about that here: …

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Washington Pipe Band Plays For Sean Connery

Washington Pipe Band Plays For Sean Connery from Toby Dodd on Vimeo.   This video just came up on my Facebook feed this morning but I hadn’t seen it before.  Even though Washington is misspelled, this is still a fantastic performance for Sean Connery in 1999.     Sean Connery was honored at the Kennedy …

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