Traditions, sport, holidays in Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a border with England to the south, and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. Edinburgh is the country's capital and second-largest city.

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age (2nd century AD), although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Now it is considered as the national symbol of Scotland.

Traditions

There are so many Scottish customs and traditions that we can only touch the surface here. But people from all four corners of the globe know that Scottish are nation rich in history and culture, and many of their traditions have been adopted throughout the world. Most people have different association with Scotland. For some of them it is whisky or golf, or some of the folklore such as Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. For other it is men in kilts and Highland dancing; while others might think of bagpipe music.

Music in Scotland

Many outsiders associate Scottish folk music almost entirely with the Great Highland Bagpipe, which has indeed long played an important part in Scottish music. Although this particular form of bagpipe developed exclusively in Scotland, it is not the only Scottish bagpipe, and other bagpiping traditions remain across Europe. The earliest mention of bagpipes in Scotland dates to the 15th century although they are believed to have been introduced to Scotland as early as the 6th century by the Gaels of Ireland. The Great Highland Bagpipe was originally associated with both hereditary piping families and professional pipers to various clan chiefs; later, pipes were adopted for use in other venues, including military marching.

Highland dance

Highland dancing is a style of competitive solo dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games, where it is often performed to the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music. It is now seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event. Highland dancers wear specialized shoes called ghillies. Highland dance should not be confused with Scottish country dance.

Scotland festivals

Founded in 1947, the Edinburgh International Festival is an annual festival held in celebration of the arts. From reasonably humble beginnings over fifty years ago, it is now seen as one of the most significant celebrations of the arts in the world.

The Hogmanay Festival is essentially a new years celebration with a difference. This festival takes place on the 31st of December every year and is phenomenally well supported and raucous. It's a ticketed festival that starts quite early in the evening reaching its peak as expected at midnight with the ringing of bells and plenty of kissing. Then old folk song 'Auld Lang Syne' is sung and followed by more kissing.

A Scottish Country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography. Although Country dancing is often considered a type of folk dancing, its original base of dancers was from the more educated and wealthy classes of the Renaissance. When it first became popular around the 18th century it was as a shorter, quicker form of dance that was a light relief from the more courtly dances normally danced.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 1591