Tartan

Where warp will cross the weft to make
A sett or sequence of
Threads that conjoin to then produce
The tartans that we love
From Blackwatch to Royal Stewart cloth
To represent the clans
With coloured plaids that tell a tale
Since back when time began

With links to Celtic history
Right angled woven thread
Increasing quadratically
In greens, blues, blacks and reds
And other mixed up colours for
Checked cloths of national pride
Trade mark of Scotland’s heritage
And well known all worldwide!

Today is “Tartan Day” a celebration of Scottish heritage by those of Scottish descent to mark some of their great achievements.  It was first celebrated in New York City in 1982 but has subsequently spread around the globe!  Click here to read more 

Three examples of Scottish tartan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Halloween

Back in the runes of ancient time
From Celtic days of old
The festival of Samhain saw
Dark winter days unfold
As summer’s light was bid adieu
And sank just out of reach
Enticing Celts to then believe
Dead souls might rise and breach
The thinner winter boundary
Mid this world and the next
With fears that evil spirits
Might come and cast a hex

And thus to stifle havoc
They’d dress up in costume
To scare away unwanted ghosts
And still their sense of doom.
And with jack o-lantern turnips
Placed in their window frame
They’d ward off evil spirits
To dispel them from the game
But now this Celtic festival
Is meshed with other days
In a melting pot of rituals
Called Halloween today