Tag: Scotland

Happy 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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It’s 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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The First Foot

  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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Hogmanay Fireballs…Again!

  Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year’s Day (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January—a Scottish bank holiday. The …

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Giving Thanks on Veterans: November 11, 2019

Giving thanks to our Veterans today I’m not sure how Veterans Day turned into a Monday holiday and a day to sell stuff, but then, most every holiday has turned into a day for stores to run “sales”.  Possibly, the original intent was to give our veterans a break but it has sure morphed away …

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40 Days of Thankfulness: Day 6

Today I’m thankful for Travel. We’ve been fortunate to be able to travel to several interesting places. Some, like Iceland, we just lucked in to. We’d wanted to go to Ireland but the travel agent couldn’t get us in at any time over that summer. She did get us a deal where, if we flew Iceland …

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It’s World Photo Day Again

  Today is another of those “Who Knew” holidays. I was recently talking to someone about our last trip to Scotland and she reminded me to take lots of pictures.  Then, she said to be sure to print them out so she could see them. Um, no way!  I haven’t printed out pictures since probably …

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Scotland’s Summer Bank Holiday

Last year we’re in Scotland on August 28, so wen’t were affected by the August Bank Holiday.  This year’s holiday is on Monday, August 5. The August Bank Holiday was instituted by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 to give bankers a day off so they could participate in cricket matches. Since then, however, its …

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

I have my Black Watch tartan ready to go to wear to the parade in New York this year. 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 Scottish Americans to …

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National Tartan Day

  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 …

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