A rallying call has been made encouraging people to carry on with Burns Night traditions in the region despite the pandemic.
Miller Caldwell, president of Dumfries Robert Burns Club, believes it is important to mark the Bard’s birthday.
And he is urging people to stick to lockdown restrictions but mark the occasion on January 25.
He said: “There is something all Scots can do on Burns Night. I encourage you to have your neeps, tatties and, of course, haggis. There is a vegetarian option too. Recite or read the Address to the Haggis and enjoy your meal whether you are a couple or on your own.
“End your evening with Auld Lang Syne. And you do not have to imbibe whisky. Drink your preference. Mine’s a coke, with a Horlicks before midnight. Whisky is a popular option but not necessary.”
Miller said the pandemic has affected groups in the region associated with Burns as they have not been able to meet in person. And members will miss out on the usual supper gatherings that are a tradition at this time of the year.
He said: “Over 200 years since it started, The Robert Burns Club of Dumfries has had difficult days in the past – with cholera and war events preventing celebrating the poet’s birth on January 25.
“To add to the list of calamities is, of course, the Covid-19 virus and subsequent related strains of the virus. However, we are not alone to be in this position.
“Enjoy your Burn’s night wherever you are; no matter how or where. As Burns wrote:
What is title, what is pleasure
What is reputation’s care?
Tis no matter how or where!”
