The life and work of Scottish poet Robert Burns is celebrated every year in Scotland and around the world, including Brussels, where several events are planned.
Burns Night falls on the anniversary of Burns’ birth on 25 January 1759. This year, it falls on a Sunday.
A Scottish tradition since the 19th century, the day is marked with a special Burns Supper, which includes serving traditional food like haggis, neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (mashed potatoes).
It is a lively celebration of Burns’ work through a mix of music, comedy, theatre and plenty of whisky. They can take the form of an informal gathering of friends to a huge, formal dinner full of pomp and circumstance.
Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759– 1796).
Burns is considered Scotland’s national poet, writing in the Scots language, a Germanic sister-language to English, which gave us words like blackmail, cosy and glamour.
Themes of social injustice, inequality and celebrations of the working class underpin his lyrical prose, as do beauty, love, anguish and unhappiness. Today, his work is largely depoliticised, but it has a radical history with critiques of power, such as Scots Wha Hae and The Rights of Woman.
His most famous work is Auld Lang Syne (1788), a poem based on an old Scottish folk song about long-standing friendships. At the end of Burns Suppers, the chair invites guests to stand and belt out a rousing rendition of the musical version while linking arms.
The night would be incomplete without the ubiquitous presence of bagpipes. From the very beginning, tradition has it that a piper serenades the guests as they arrive.
The arrival of the haggis is also piped in with a procession of the chef, the piper, the person who will address the Haggis and importantly, a whisky-bearer.
Traditional Burns supper
Burns’ entertaining poem Address to the Haggis is then read out, with the speaker's knife poised at the ready. On cue, he will cut it lengthwise so all the innards will fall out.
What is haggis, you may ask? Well, it is sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, seasonings, and salt – all cooked inside a sheep’s stomach.
After the address, the speaker will then raise a toast to the haggis. The audience must follow suit and cry out: "The haggis!"
Toast to the Haggis, a poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns, given on Burns Night in Molenbeek, 2025. Credit: The Brussels Times.
Dinner is usually served with ale or wine, with some people even opting to douse their haggis in neat whisky, which is rebranded as whisky sauce.
After the food, the entertainment begins with a singer or musician playing one of Burns’ songs, such as My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose or Rantin', Rovin' Robin.
For comedy, the toast to the lassies, a speech is usually made by a man in honour of women (lassies is Scots for girl or young women), is usually a humorous occasion.
It highlights Burns’ complex relationship with women, which includes light-hearted jabs but ultimately highlights the essential role of women in society.
The chair of the evening and The Hoggies at Burns Night in Molenbeek, Brussels, 2025. Credit: The Brussels Times
After that, the roles are reversed, and a speaker, usually a woman, stands up to reply and give a toast to the laddies (boys or young men), usually known as the reply. Men’s numerous flaws are also referenced in jest here, too.
The night ends with more readings of Burns poems and in many cases, traditional Scottish folk dancing with ceilidhs. These often have a dance caller to help newcomers learn the dances, making them accessible for everyone.
So what's happening in Brussels?
Burns Nights are celebrated around the world – including in Brussels too. Often, these are mixed with traditional ceilidhs.
On Saturday 25 January, St Andrew’s Church of Scotland in Brussels will host a Burns Supper, with tickets priced at €45, which includes four courses. The event begins at 18:30, and a ticket is required. For more information.
On Sunday 26 January, Unity Bookshop by Place Jourdan will host an afternoon dedicated to Robert Burns.
There will be dedicated readings, Scottish and Celtic acoustic music, activities for the wee ones and a display of Scottish authors, a hot toddy and maybe even some dancing. For more information.
The bookshop opened recently, and the night is being organised thanks to the Scottish folks who met there during those first few weeks of opening.
Dancing during a ceilidh in Molenbeek, 2025. Credit: The Brussels Times
On Friday, 30 January, while not strictly connected to Burns, a night raising funds for the Community Kitchen will see a special dance organised at Holy Trinity Brussels.
Tickets are priced at €30, which includes dinner (haggis, neeps and tatties) before the dancing starts. Brussels-based Scottish band The Hoggies will provide the soundtrack to the evening with their usual heartfelt performances of Scottish folk classics and more. For more information.
Finally, Full Circle Brussels is hosting a Ceilidh on Friday 6 February, with Scottish dancing, once again provided by The Hoggies. There will be no formal dinner here, but light food will be available at the bar. The dance begins at 19:30, and tickets are expected to sell out. For more information.
Slàinte Mhath!
