Not So Famous…

For those of you who have never been to a highland games, essentially it’s an excuse to have a giant party with Whisky (the ‘e’ does not exist in Scotch Whisky), beer, Scottish-like food, and a chance to wear the kilt.

Oh, I know…there are some weird events that happen and are peculiar to Scottish culture, like the caber-toss, highland dancing, etc.  These events are always interesting, to be sure, but having immersed myself in the Scottish culture as I have, even travelling to Scotland with my wife for 3 weeks, I feel I can safely say that it’s a party.  Another name for a Scottish Highland Games is the Gathering of the Clans, and perhaps this shows even more the focus of these great events.

With some exceptions, to be sure, the Scottish people are a social people. The Scots would see themselves as normal, but it’s all relative.  Let’s remember that the Scots fought a technologically and politically superior country for many years to preserve the Clan system. The word “clan”, itself, means “children” in Scottish Gaelic. While clans were ostensibly related, the protection of the clan chief extended over septs or related families, who were not really related by blood, but rather ties of marriage, treaties and agreements. Gatherings to the Scottish people, who were often separated from family by mountain ranges, glens, and lochs, were what made life worth living. Friends were family, and family was everything.

These events in the US are sort of niche events.  People get together to talk about their love of all things Scottish, wear the kilt, speak in bad Scottsh accents (and some good), and enjoy Celtic music. It’s a party celebrating Scottish culture, and I’m going to be near Santa Cruz this weekend indulging myself in good food, good beer, and wearing a kilt!

A band from Newfoundland called Great Big Sea wrote a song about the parties of the Celtic-influenced people.  Tell me this doesn’t sound like a blast!  It’s getting me in the mood for this weekend!!!

Well come gather all around me
There is something you should know
There is no place quite like this place
If we get it on the go

So, pile your boots up in the corner
Hang your jacket from the door
There’s thirty people in the kitchen
And there’s always room for more

Oh-oh-oh, come on now
Let’s lock the world outside
Oh-oh-oh, come on I tell you now
She’s goin’ up tonight!

Well there’ll be music all around you
You should see the way it feels
So come on off we go now
Heel and toe now
To the jigs and reels

‘Cause somebody’s got a fiddle
And someone else brought a guitar
And we got Bobby on the squeezebox
Grab a chair and raise a jar!

Oh-oh-oh, come on now
Let’s lock the world outside
Oh-oh-oh, come on I tell you now
She’s goin’ up tonight

Well there’ll be smilin’, there’ll be laughin’
Well that’s good enough for me
There’ll be dancing all around you
This is where you want to be

So, pile your boots up in the corner
Hang your jacket from the door
There’s thirty people in the kitchen
And there’s always room, yes there’s always room…

Oh-oh-oh, come on now
Let’s lock the world outside
Oh-oh-oh, come on I tell you now
She’s goin’ up tonight!” - “Goin’ Up” by Great Big Sea

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