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New York City Tartan Day Parade - Saturday, April 4th, 2020

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Happy St. Andrew’s Day to all!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at @nyctartanweek to all of you! We are truly thankful to you all for your love and continued support!

We’re happy to announce that the Isle of Cumbrae Pipe Band will be joining us for the New York Tartan Day Parade 2020!

The Isle of Cumbrae, or Great Cumbrae is situated just off the West Coast of Scotland, easily accessible by a short 10 minute ferry ride from Largs, Ayrshire. It’s the larger of the two Cumbrae Islands at 4 miles long by 2.5 miles at it’s widest point. This might sound small but it makes it the 45th largest Scottish island out of 790!
The main and only town on the island is Millport with a population of about 1200, swelling to around 3000 in summer.
In 1999 the Millport branch of the Royal British Legion resolved to start a Pipe Band. This resulted in the Isle of Cumbrae Royal British Legion Scotland Pipe Band, with it still going strong today. With a playing corps of about 30, the band have represented the island throughout Scotland and Europe at festivals and events, notably being the lead Scottish band at the Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany, France – the largest celtic festival in the world. They have also been regularly invited to play at Balmoral Castle and the world famous Braemar Gathering before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Excitingly, for 2020 the band have determined to take part in the acclaimed Tartan Day parade in New York. Wearing their distinctive Isle of Cumbrae tartan they hope to bring their own take on the traditions of the Highland pipe band to the streets of Manhattan. Pipe Major David says “We hope that if you meet us you’ll take the time to say hi - we’re a pretty friendly bunch! Oh, and if you do speak to us, don’t forget to ask about the crocodile on our badge!” We really look forward to officially welcoming you to the 2020 NYC Tartan Day Parade (and quizzing you about the mysterious croc....) We’ll see you in April!
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020 #isleofcumbrae #pipeband #bagpipes

Thank you to all those past and present who have fought for their country. We so often take our freedom for granted and must remember the sacrifices so many have made. Lest we forget 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇸

Happy 244th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps! Thank you to all who have served or are serving our country 🇺🇸

On International Stout Day 2019 we want to show some love to Scotland’s oldest working brewery and @nyctartanweek’s official beer sponsor @belhavenbrews! Huge thanks for all your support (and delicious beer) over the last few years. We’ll be sure to raise a glass or three of Belhaven Black Scottish Stout this evening to celebrate the day! .
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#internationalstoutday #scottishstout #stout #belhavenbrews #belhavenblack #nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica

Whether you’re carving your turnip, dookin’ for apples or guising round the neighbours, have a Happy Halloween from all of us @nyctartanweek 🎃

Billy Connolly's new book, TALL TALES AND WEE STORIES coming October 2019!
In December 2018, after 50-years of belly-laughs, energy, outrage and enjoyment, Sir Billy Connolly announced his retirement from stand-up comedy. His has been an extraordinary career.

When he first started out in the late Sixties, Billy played the banjo in the folk clubs of Glasgow. Between songs, he would improvise a bit, telling anecdotes from the Clyde shipyard where he worked. Soon, the songs became shorter and the monologues longer, and Billy quickly became recognized as one of the most exciting comedians of his generation.
Tall Tales and Wee Stories brings together the very best of Billy's storytelling for the first time and features his most famous routines including, “The Last Supper”, “Jojoba Shampoo”, “Incontinence Pants” and “Shouting at Wildebeest”. With an introduction and original illustrations by Billy, it is an inspirational, energetic and riotously funny read, and a fitting celebration of one of the finest comedians. .
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#sirbillyconnolly #tworoadspublishing #talltalesandweestories #nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica

Last but not least in our Viking Series is Up Helly Aa - Lerwick. In 6 months these 3 Jarl Squads will unite and parade up 6th Avenue in Manhattan. We can’t wait! Thank you so much to Dwayne Davies for providing us with the fascinating history and stories too.
Lerwick Up Helly Aa is a relatively modern festival. There’s some evidence that rural Shetland celebrate the 24th day after Christmas as ‘Antonsmas’ or ‘Up Helly Night’ but there is no evidence that their cousins in Lerwick did the same. The emergence of Yuletide and New Year festivities in the town seems to post-date the Napoleon Wars, when soldiers and sailors came home with rowdy habits and a taste for firearms!

As Lerwick grew in size the celebrations became more elaborate. Around 1840 the participants introduced burning tar barrels into the proceedings. The main streets were extremely narrow, and rival groups of tar barrelers frequently clashed. The events were extremely dangerous and Lerwick’s middle classes frequently complained about them. The end came for tar-barrelling in the early 1870s. It seems to have been because the young Lerwegians had decided it was time for change. The name was improvised to Up-Helly-A and celebrations were gradually postponed until the end of January. They introduced a far more elaborate element of disguise ‘guizing’ into the new festival and inaugurated a (tar free) torchlight procession.
In the late 1880s a Viking longship ‘the Galley’ appeared, and around 1906 a ‘Guizer Jarl’, the chief guizer, arrived on the scene. It wasn’t until after the First World War however that there was a squad of Vikings, the ‘Guizer Jarl Squad’ in the procession every year.

Despite some changes, additional resources and of course moving with the times there are numerous threads connecting the Up Helly A of today with the predecessors 150 years ago.
Up Helly Aa in Lerwick is due to take place on January 28 2020 lead by Liam Summers.
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020 #uphellyaa #jarlsquad #vikings #shetland #delting #lerwick #bressay

Next up in our Viking series is Up Helly Aa - Bressay!

The tradition of Up Helly Aa has been alive in Bressay since the early 1930s, although the festival hasn’t run annually since then.

The first festival was held in 1930. Only a few details are known about it: the first galley was constructed at a fish processing factory, and consisted of a painted Shetland Model, with a tail and head added.

Festivals were held for the following four years. The procession lit up and started out from the Tae Well (Roadside) and later from the Eunsons. It consisted of about 70-90 participants, both male and female. They all walked single file along past the Shop, Hall and School. The burning of the galley took place North-by the Old Manse on a vacant piece of ground loaned from Hoversta Farm except in 1933 when the burning took place at Hunchiebanks.

About seven or eight squads entertained at the hall, and as today their acts could be colourful costumes, dances or some local skit. Dancing usually went on until around 6am. Teas were provided in the hall by the Ladies Committee and the cost of a ticket to Bressay Up Helly Aa in the 1930's would have been in the regions of 2/6.

Unfortunately there were no further festivals after 1934 as the hall which at that time was a Kirk Hall which was was not allowed to be used for the purpose.

Luckily the festival was re-established in 1962, after a public meeting was held the previous year to gauge interest and Bressay Up Helly Aa has been held annually ever since! Up Helly Aa in Bressay is due to take place on February 28 2020 lead by James Anderson with the traditional procession.
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020 #uphellyaa #jarlsquad #vikings #shetland #delting #lerwick #bressay

First up in our Viking Spotlight is Up Helly Aa - Delting!

Originally founded in 1970 and run as a school, the group was organised by teachers and parents of the district. Children would perform comedy acts to audiences in the school and local public hall as well as the Jarl squad (vikings). Come darkness, the children would form ranks from the school in Brae then march to the local bonfire location to send the said years Galley boat (Viking longship) on its way to Valhalla with an ablaze of fiery torches burning inside the boat. The night would then spill into the halls for squads to perform acts, spend time with loved ones, feast, drink, sing and dance the night away, which is still how the festival is run to this day.
In 1982 a group local enthusiasts gathered together with the intention to upgrade the festival’s size and include surrounding areas within the district of Delting, turning it into an adult festival which also included the children. This helped support the teachers and like many festivals, growing year by year meant a committee of volunteers were built to organise, plan and prepare the whole year round for the following years festival.
Nearly 40 years later, the current committee consists of around 18 members who dedicate many hours throughout the year to prepare for the event. The festival has established itself as a world wide phenomenon, with people travelling from far and wide to witness the spectacle!
This year will see the largest Jarl squad not only in Delting, but that Shetland has ever seen with 73 men, 5 boys and 5 princesses. The squad have been underway preparing suit designs since 2017 and started suit production in April this year. The 83 strong squad consists of members from Scotland, Ireland, Wales & England which is also a first for Delting having all 4 British nationalities in the same squad!
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020 #uphellyaa #jarlsquad #vikings #shetland #delting #lerwick #bressay

#TBT let’s throw it back to April when Sir Billy Connolly stood proud on Manhattan’s 6th Avenue as the Grand Marshal of the NYC Tartan Day Parade!
We’d love to take a moment to appreciate the organisations and people in this photo and thank them for all that they do, keeping Scottish heritage alive and well even though they’re thousands of miles away from the mainland!
Let’s hear it for the National Tartan Day New York Committee, Saint Andrews Society, New York Caledonian Club, American Scottish Foundation, Clan Campbell, Carnegie Hall, the Scottish Government and of course Sir Billy’s family and friends that made this unforgettable experience possible! .
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica

It’s official, Vikings will be taking to the streets of Manhattan in 2020! We’re proud to announce the Jarl Squad are taking part in the Official NYC Tartan Week Tartan Day Parade!
Two weeks after the world famous bucket list festival, Delting Up Helly Aa in Shetland (where NYC Tartan Week President Kyle Dawson @tartan_prez will have the honour of leading the squad on the bagpipes along with local musicians), the Jarl Squad is taking on the venture of attending NYC Tartan Week.
This year the group have teamed up with the Lerwick and Bressay squads on the joint trip across the pond, with a mighty 120 people travelling from Shetland which will include 80 Vikings, making it the largest group to date making the journey!
Stay tuned to find out a bit more about the iconic Vikings that we had the pleasure of first meeting in 2013. We are very excited to welcome back to NYC to help us celebrate Scottish culture! .
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020 #uphellyaa #jarlsquad #vikings #shetland #delting #lerwick #bressay

This weekend sees the 44th New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival take place at Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, NH! Our president, @tartan_prez will be there so keep your eyes peeled on social media for some pictures of the event!
From Friday to Sunday, it’s the largest and most diverse Scottish cultural festival in America’s Northeast and with everything from Sheepdog trials to Fiddle Championships, it’s sure to be a fun packed Scottish weekend! Check out the programme of events here https://nhscot.org/pdf/2019%20Festival%20Guide.pdf?fbclid=IwAR00Zyk2TVPWvx5D57gcfC4O2km3UIfydvnfIpBC3BOseCSOJejEIXYVM_A

New Hampshire Highland Games are a proud sponsor of the Official NYC Tartan Day After Party, and we love working with them and supporting their cause, as they do for us! .
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #newhampshire #newhampshirescots #nhscots #scottishfestival #highlandgames #loonmountainresort #lincolnnh

No matter where you are in the world you’ll remember what you were doing when the news broke. That spine tingling memory will forever stay in our minds, the disbelief still raw even today.
On this day we take the time to remember and to honour those whose lives were lost. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives were turned upside down at 8.46am on Tuesday, September 11th 2001. ’’September 11 impressed upon us that life is a precious gift. Every life has a purpose. And I think we all have a duty to devote at least a small portion of our daily lives to ensuring that neither America nor the world ever forgets September 11.’’
– Bill Frist

Registration for the 22nd annual NYC Tartan Day Parade 2020 is now open!

Be part of the unforgettable parade that will take place on Saturday April the 4th at 2pm, starting at 44th Street and marching up 6th Avenue to 55th. It’s only 150 days away!
Sign up today at http://nyctartanweek.org/tartan-day/ and if you have any questions please email registration@nyctartanweek.org.

We can’t wait to see you there! .
#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020

‪The National Tartan Day New York Committee is very excited to announce that registration will open on September 1st 2019 at 12pm EST for the 22nd annual New York City Tartan Day Parade on Saturday April 4th 2020! ‬

Join us and march up 6th Avenue in Manhattan, to the swirl of kilts, the skirl of bagpipes to the immersive cheers of tens of thousands of spectators!

Match with pipe bands from across the globe, Highland dancers, Scottish heritage clans, dogs, Scottish cultural organizations, plus of COURSE the Loch Ness Monster, in a joyous New York City celebration of Scottish pride - we admit to bias when we say it’s the best and most memorable parade in NYC!

Register at nyctartanweek.org from September 1st. There is NO charge to march in, or to attend the Parade, just don on your finest tartan and lose yourself in the electric atmosphere of the afternoon. Stay tuned to our social media to find out more! .
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #parade #clan #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #2020

Wishing everyone that’s taking part in the World Bagpipe Championships in Glasgow this weekend the very best of luck! Even though in true Scottish style the weather forecast looks a bit dreich, it’s sure to be a fun packed and memorable weekend!
Our very own piping legend @tartan_prez will be there to cheer you all on so if you’re there be sure to say hi! .
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #worldbagpipechampionships #bagpipes #pipers #bagpipersofinstagram #glasgowgreen

What are you doing on August 24th? If you’re in the NY vicinity get yourself along to the annual Long Island Scottish Festival and Games at the beautiful Old Westbury Gardens!

With bagpipes, concerts, vendors, food, antique cars and kids’ games, this full day festival is for everyone. The Games are also open to all - Caber Toss, Shot Put and Hay Toss can be entered by anyone!
Adults: $20.00
Seniors: $18.00
O.W. Members: $10.00
Children (Ages 6 - 17): $8.00
Children (Ages Under 6): Free

Visit https://www.liscots.org/festival_and_games.htm for more information .
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#nyctw #nyctartanweek #tartanday #newyork #scotland #scotsinnewyork #scotsinamerica #longisland #longislandscots #clanmacduff #scottishfestival #highlandgames #oldwestburygardens

Here @elriograndenyc with @montaukdistillingco_ for a little rum tasting! They are a sponsor of the Post-Parade Party, make sure you come out on April 4th and have a little rum!

National Tartan Day New York Committee
150 East 55th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022
(212) 980-0844

Contact us: info@nyctartanweek.org

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