Robbie Burns is Turning in His Pine Box

I had the pleasure last evening and this morning of attending the annual Celtic Classic held here in Bethlehem. It's the one time of year where our whole family actually fits in somewhere. The redheads don't stick out like sore thumbs and Declan is able to find wares with his name imprinted on them.

Like everything else, to me it's all about the food. When we go and the kids want to get hot dogs, I shudder. How can you possibly eat a hot dog at the Celtic Fest? Ah well, they don't know any better, the wee bairns. I forgive them for their ignorance.

I, however, had the Shepherd's Pie and Pasty along with scones and shortbread (over two days' time). I stopped short of haggis, which I've written of before, and although I refuse to eat it myself, I do think it's essential to Scottish festing. I mean, any food that has prose written about it is worth the continuing tradition.

I've always felt that canned haggis was a little odd. It's foul enough without having to can it and let it stew and deepen in flavor (that's a big question mark) over time. This year, what I really found disturbing was canned VEGETARIAN haggis. When I first saw the cans of Stahly's Vegetarian Haggis, I asked the proprietor at that particular stand if that stuff was legal. She laughed and then I told her that Robert Burns would surely be turning over in his grave.

Vegetarian, that means sans meat - which, for haggis, means oatmeal and onions. She pointed out that there was more in there than that, but I can't shake the notion that they are toying with tradition. Shameful.

Oh well, I won't be trying either version, so I guess my viewpoint doesn't really matter, does it?