KIRKIN' O' the TARTANS

There are two kinds of people in this world. People who just can’t handle bagpipe music. And people who love it. I am in the second bushel, perhaps because my mother’s mother, whom I knew as Grandma Nan, was born in or around Aberdeen as ‘Nan Cameron’ and was of Cameron clan lineage. So, bagpipes may be stirring my Scottish warrior’s blood to attention.
On Sunday, March 4, 2024, , Kanawha United Presbyterian Church in downtown Charleston, W.Va., celebrated the Scottish heritage of the Presbyterian church with a ‘Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans’ event at its Sunday morning service. I got there just as the Beni Kedem Highlanders Pipes and Drums entered the building at high volume. My dear pal Maggie Jusiel added some more decibels to the mix as they entered, since she and Tim Mainland of the fabulous Tim and Maggie duo were in town for last weekend’s Celtic Crossing event.
The term kirk is the Scots word for 'church', and in refers to the blessing of the tartans associated with different Scottish families, clans and heritages. According to a tradition (that apparently has never been proven historically), the ‘Kirkin' o' the Tartan’ originated in Scotland. After defeating Jacobite forces in 1746 at the Battle of Culloden, the British government outlawed Highland dress. Legend has it that during this period, Scots would hide small pieces of tartan fabric on their person while attending church services. When it came time for the blessing, they would touch the bit of cloth. What is certain is that the ceremony has been widely popular since it originated as a fundraiser for British war relief in 1941.
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