Our Last Day of Research

This has been another whirlwind tour. 10 days ago, we were eager with anticipation, a little nervous about whether we were prepared or whether we would find anything, and a bit timid as we embarked to become a group. 

Now 10 days in, we are friends, connected to each other, to Edinburgh, to our ancestors and to our heritage. We openly admit our love for this city. We are genuinely interested in how our comrades are doing in their research. We are grateful for their excitement when they hear our discoveries. 

Our connection to Scotland, to our ancestors and to our heritage is just starting to form. We feel at home here. We are comfortable in our city. But we are just beginning to understand just where we fit in. We know more about our ancestor's lives and as a result we are more connected to them and to our own history. We are amazed at just how courageous and emotionally strong our ancestors were. We could never imagine ourselves in their situation and continuing to move forward. Children lost, husband or wives lost, homelands left behind. Our pride in them deepens beyond measure and as a result, our pride in our own Scottish heritage does as well. 

Some of us will enjoy a much needed holiday. Some will visit friends or family. Once we get back and look over the records again, recall our time in the archives, libraries and genealogy societies, and process the emotions of our discoveries, the real connection to our ancestors and to our heritage will begin. We will start to see ourselves in relation to our ancestors, to others with Scottish heritage and to the larger Diaspora. We have a common connection. One we are proud of and we will start to embrace that more as we continue to process the documents and relive the memories of our time in our ancestral homeland. We are now forever changed. All because we took the leap of faith and made the decision to travel to Scotland to research our family history. 

A Scot's A Scot Even to the Twentieth Generation

Few words have more truth. No matter how many Scots I meet, whether born and raised, first generation or ten generations removed, Scots have a fierce and proud claim on their heritage. Not a chest-pounding machismo sort of pride. But a calm, deeply entrenched sense of belonging. 

It is this inherent sense of who they are that gives the Scot descendant, who visits Scotland for the first time, the sense that they have returned home. A calm, comfortable knowledge that they belong here. THIS is where their roots started.

Is there such a thing as the memories of our ancestors being passed along in our DNA? Hard to know for certain. But something in our genes, our culture makes us KNOW where we came from and to whom we belong. 

One of the best parts of working and interacting with the Scots diaspora on a daily basis is their quickness to indulge in their heritage and all things Scottish. The symbolism, the celebrations, the traditions, the music. Photographs, food, memories evoke a depth of response that, for many cultures, is beyond understanding. 

Genetically and biologically, I belong to a huge family. My maternal grandfather fathered 21 children. All but one survived to adulthood. My paternal grandparents had 9 children. 8 of them survived to adulthood. A feat in and of itself. 

At a young age, my parents and I left our home and family behind for a better life in Canada. Mum had 2 sisters and a niece here. But in many ways, my upbringing was likely more Scottish than that of my cousins in Scotland. Every summer, all summer, Scotland came to us. The family arrived in pairs, or in packs, but they always arrived. 

In addition, all of my parent's friends were Scottish. We celebrated every tradition and holiday known to Scots. My parents regularly had a ceilidh, as had been the tradition in my dad's home when he was growing up. Of course, my dad was the only one that was musically inclined, but the others were always up for a get together. 

Our house was the focus of the neighbourhood and friendship circle every Hogmanay. The cleaning, the cooking, the food, the Auld Lang Syne circle and of course the First Footer. And then there were the Burns Nights. Not that we called them that. And not that they always occurred in January. But there were times when the haggis was made, paraded out on a platter and aptly addressed by my mum as she recited, from heart, Rabbie's immortal words. 

I find that now that most of my parents' generation have passed on, I crave those moments more with each passing day. This past couple of weeks, however, has provided some wonderful opportunities to re-connect with those traditions. I enjoyed sharing my heritage with friends at a Burns Night sponsored by Clan Donald Southern Ontario and then 5 days later, was able to enjoy the Scottish Tattoo at the Sony Centre where I also manned a booth for the Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada. 

People flocked to the table to see what their tartan looked like. Some were clearly moved when they touched the swatch of material. Lots of memories were shared and lots of humour shared. And a deep sense of knowing that in our heritage, we belonged to each other and to our ancestral homeland. 

Tartan Day 2012

April 6th is Tartan Day. 40 million Americans can claim Scottish Ancestry. There are a number of Scots-American Associations in the US, many sponsoring events this weekend. Events are planned in Washington DC, San Diego, Denver, Cincinnati and Nashville NC. But the biggest US event for Tartan Day is taking place at Ellis Island. This event is sponsored by Clan Currie Society. The event is held annually to honour the half million Scots immigrants who passed through Ellis Island on their way to build a better life for their families and in the process to help build and shape the country.

In Canada, there are a number of Tartan Day Events happening as well. One is sponsored by the Scottish Studies Foundation and is held at Toronto's Casa Loma. And there will be a Ceildh at the Royal York at 7:30. In the Nation's Capital, the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band will be celebrating on Parliament Hill at noon.   

In New Brunswick, the Scottish Cultural Association is involved with Tartan Day Events in Fredericton, Moncton and St John.  

Wherever you are, show your pride. Wear your ancestral tartan and celebrate your Scots heritage.

A Short Video from Scotland.org on the History of St Andrew

Enjoy!!

http://www.scotland.org/culture/festivals/st-andrews-day/the-story-of-st-andrew/

November 30th is St Andrew's Day

St Andrew is the paton saint of Scotland, but who was he? Anyone who attended Sunday School will remember Jesus going to the Sea of Galilee and calling Simon Peter, and his brother (2 fishermen) to come and be "Fishers of Men". Simon Peter's brother was Andrew.

Andrew was a disciple, an apostle and an evangelist for early Christianity. He was crucified in Greece by the Romans and was hung on an 'X' shaped cross. Legend has it that St Regulus (St Rule) was ordered by God to have Andrew's remains "scattered to the ends of the earth." Some believe this was simply meaning that his evangelism be scattered to the ends of the earth. However, St Regulus set off across the sea and stepped ashore in Fife - in the town now known as St Andrew's. A fishing village. He is known as the Saint of Fishermen, maidens and barren women.

The Saltire - or the cross of St Andrew's - was later adopted as the national emblem of Scotland. The cross is 'X' shaped to match the cross Andrew was crucified on. The white cross was originally silver, but in heraldry, white stands for silver. The saltire is incorporated into the Union Jack (a white diagonal cross).

It was in 1320, at the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, that Andrew was officially declared the Patron Saint of Scotland. Today St Andrew's Day is a bank holiday. For those of us not living in Scotland, but of Scottish ancestry, it becomes a day to honour our heritage.