'Having A Blast With Burns', Budapest 'Big' Burns Event, 24 January
- 27 Jan 2009 12:00 AM
Around 250 guests, a mixture of expats and Hungarians, attended the 12th annual Budapest Burns Supper at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal on Saturday evening. The traditional Scottish event marks the birth, life and work of Rabbie (Robert) Burns, who would have been 250 this year, and has become known as the national bard of Scotland.
Jock MacKenzie of the Hungarian-Scottish Society told XpatLoop.com this event, "cleared HUF 7 million for the charity, which was tremendous success given the current economic climate". These funds will go towards helping local children in need.
Event chairman, Stuart McAlistair, believes the Supper remains popular for a number of reasons, not least the "spectacle, the combination of a formal dinner with the relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere that a Burns Supper creates.
Entertainment on the night included the Robert Burns International Foundation drum and pipe band, a group of past and present world champion drummers and pipers from two or three bands who come together each year to fly out to Budapest and play at this event.
There were also dancers from the SOTE clinic, all children who have been treated at one of the hospitals supported by the Supper, as well as a Scottish dance group, the Dagda ceilidh band, Scottish dancing for the guests, led by Debbie Moss, whisky tasting sponsored by Diageo and the Dreher Burns Bar.
Words by Robin Marshall & photo by Dani Dorko for XpatLoop.com
Click here to see a photo gallery from this event
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