Editing Burns supper (section)

==History==
[[File:'Birth of Burns' programme, Newcastle - 1859-01-25.jpg|thumb|upright|Programme for an 1859 'Birth of Burns' event, held at [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne|Newcastle upon Tyne]], England ([[wikisource:'Birth of Burns' programme, 1859|transcription]])]]

The first supper was held ''in memoriam'' at [[Burns Cottage]] in [[Ayrshire]] by Burns's friends, on 21 July 1801, the fifth anniversary of his death.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Scotland|first=National Trust for|date=2021-01-26|title=The first Burns Supper|url=https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/the-first-burns-supper|access-date=2021-01-26|website=National Trust for Scotland}}</ref> The first still extant [[Burns Clubs|Burns Club]] was founded in [[Greenock]] in 1801 by merchants who were born in Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns. They held the first Burns supper on what they thought was his birthday, 29 January 1802, but in 1803, they discovered the [[Ayr]] parish records that noted his date of birth was actually 25 January 1759.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldburnsclub.com/newsletter/0107/greenock_burns_club.htm |title=Congratulation Greenock Burns Club |publisher=The Robert Burns World Federation Limited |access-date=18 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126011456/http://www.worldburnsclub.com/newsletter/0107/greenock_burns_club.htm |archive-date=26 January 2010 }}</ref> Since then, suppers have been held on or about 25 January.

The [[Scottish Parliament]] considers the celebration of Burns Night each year to be a key cultural heritage event.<blockquote>The Parliament welcomes the annual celebration of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, which is held on 25 January each year to mark the Bard’s birthday; considers that Burns was one of the greatest poets and that his work has influenced thinkers across the world; notes that Burns' first published collection, [[Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect]], also known as the "Kilmarnock Edition", published in 1786, did much to popularise and champion the Scots language, and considers that this is one of his most important legacies; believes that the celebration of Burns Night is an opportunity to raise awareness of the cultural significance of Scots and its status as one of the indigenous languages of Scotland, and further believes in the importance of the writing down of the Scots language to ensure its continuation through written documentation, as well as oral tradition.<ref>{{Citation|last=TV|first=Scottish Parliament|title=Celebrating Burns and the Scots Language|url=https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/celebrating-burns-and-the-scots-language-january-25-2017|access-date=2021-01-26}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Haggis3.jpg|thumb|Poetry to accompany haggis eating]]
Burns suppers can be formal or informal. Both typically include [[haggis]] (a traditional Scottish dish celebrated by Burns in ''[[Address to a Haggis]]''), [[Scotch whisky]] and the recitation of Burns's poetry. Formal dinners are hosted by organisations such as universities, sporting clubs, Burns Clubs, the [[Freemason]]s or [[Saint Andrew's Society|St. Andrew's Societies]]; they occasionally end with dancing or a [[cèilidh]]. During the [[COVID-19 pandemic|global COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2021, Burns Night celebrations moved online and were popular amongst families eating at home.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-24|title=Burns Night goes virtual: 'It might be even bigger this year'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/24/burns-night-goes-virtual-it-might-be-even-bigger-this-year|access-date=2021-01-26|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Nicola Sturgeon thanks virtual Burns supper organisers for allowing Scots to mark Burns Night in line with restrictions|url=https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/nicola-sturgeon-thanks-virtual-burns-supper-organisers-allowing-scots-mark-burns-night-line-restrictions-3111874|access-date=2021-01-26|website=The Scotsman|date=25 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The best laid (online) schemes: Burns Night 2021 goes digital|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19017887.best-laid-online-schemes-burns-night-2021-goes-digital/|access-date=2021-01-26|website=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=18 January 2021}}</ref> Formal suppers follow a standard order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Robert Burns – Burns Night – Running Order|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/robertburns/burns_night_running_order.shtml|access-date=2021-01-26|publisher=BBC}}</ref>