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Typically these events include Scotch whisky and haggis plus the recitation of Burns’s poetry, and this by-invitation-only event in Buda hosted by Her Majesty's Ambassador covered all the essentials and more. Afterwards he told XpatLoop, “I was delighted to kick off what turned out to be a week-long Burns Festival, reflecting the strong interest in Hungary in the “Skót Petőfi”. We did the great bard proud!”
The first ever such celebration was held at Burns Cottage on 21 July 1801, the fifth anniversary of his death. Soon after it was discovered in the Ayr parish records that his date of birth was 25 January 1759, and from then onwards Burns suppers were always held on or near that date annually by Scottish communities all over the world.

This year at his residence in Hungary HE Iain Lindsay OBE (a native of Scotland) gave the traditional address to the haggis in both English/Scotish and then Hungarian to the delight of all guests, and four impressive readings were given by Zsuzsa Arnott, Duncan Graham (pictured below), Zoltan Magyar and Patrick McMenamin to commemorate the short life but impressive works of Burns.


Words and Photos by Russell Skidmore for XpatLoop.com