What festivals are celebrated in Scotland?

Answer 1

Scotland celebrates much of the same holidays as the rest of the UK, but there are a few which are different in size or completely original. These include

Burns' Night - January 25th - The birthday of 'The Bard', the national poet of Scotland, celebrated at Burns Suppers with poetry recitals, traditional music and dancing and the national Scottish dinner of 'haggis, neeps and tatties'

Beltane - May 1st - An ancient Celtic spring festival not widely known, but celebrated by neo-pagans and Celtic revivalists.

Glasgow Fair - Last fortnight of July - A few weeks of celebrations. Few now receive 'Fair Friday' off now.

Samhuin - 31st October - The harvest festival counterpart to Beltane, and an alternative to Hallowe'en. Incidentally, Hallowe'en is traditionally associated with 'guising'; this involves performing a song or party piece at a house instead of the American 'trick-or-treating'

St. Andrews' Night - November 30th - Patron saint's day in Scotland. Celebrated with a ceilidh (dancing) and sometimes a traditional dinner.

Hogmanay - December 31st/January 1st - A celebration favoured over Christmas in traditional Scotland, but losing some of its precedence. The largest street party New Year celebrations in the world are still found in Edinburgh, however. A traditional meal of steak pie is often had, with several 'drams' of whiskey at midnight (and before, and after!).