Statue of Robert Burns in the Birks of Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, Scotland

© Dennis Barnes/Getty Image

Celebrating the Scottish Bard. Burns Night

Today we're wishing a very happy birthday to the man regarded as Scotland's national poet and a pioneer of the Romantic movement, Robert Burns. Perhaps you can celebrate by visiting his statue at the Birks of Aberfeldy in Perth and Kinross, as seen in today's photo. The birch trees here ('birks' in the Scots language) and a local waterfall inspired him to write a song lyric, 'The Birks of Aberfeldy,' in 1787.

You might also take part in Burns Night, a worldwide celebration that involves a lavish, multicourse dinner, a recital of Burns' 'Address to a Haggis,' and a serving of that poem's titular dish. After much discussion and several poetry readings, the night traditionally ends with guests singing the New Year's standard, 'Auld Lang Syne,' with words written by Burns himself in 1788.