A CELEBRATION 700 YEARS IN THE MAKING
You can’t talk about 1776 without talking about 1320. When the Yanks broke from the Brits and established a new nation free from tyrannical rule, the founding fathers drew heavy influence from the Scots when drafting their “it’s not us, it’s you” letter.The Declaration of Arbroath was signed on April 6, 1320, and announced Scotland as an independent state while requesting the British to kindly bugger off, thank you very much. Whether history quite played out that way in the following centuries is immaterial – the fact is, the Scots made their intentions known bravely:So on July 4, 1776, the signers of the American Declaration of Independence – nearly half of them of Scottish descent – modeled much of their language after what was written in the Arbroath. And we’d say it got the job done.
“We fight not for glory, nor riches nor honors, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.”
THE SCOTTISH STORY IS THE AMERICAN STORY
It’s estimated that 33 of America’s presidents can trace their ancestry back to Mother Scotland. Scottish immigrants have left indelible marks on American arts, innovation, athletics and culture. Pretty much everything Scottish save the food is beloved in the States today.
In the late 1980s, grassroots communities across the country began observing celebrations to honor Scottish-American heritage and contributions. They chose April 6 as the official date of what came to be known as Tartan Day, and began lobbying the government to recognize the holiday on a national scale.
In 1998, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution establishing National Tartan Day, and bagpipes blared from every corner. In the years since, the celebration has only grown with parades, festivals and Highland Games across the nation, often hosted by local Scottish society chapters.
YOUR HISTORY. YOUR TARTANS.
A celebration of Scotland goes hand in hand with the celebration of the kilt, and we’re proud to uphold the traditions of our homeland by continuing to produce the most authentic, high-quality kilts this side of the Firth of Clyde.As another Tartan Day comes around this April, we invite you to don your colors, toast to your ancestors and celebrate with your fellow Scots. For all we’ve done for America, and all we’ve done in the name of freedom, Tartan Day is for us.
