Kirkin' o' tha Tartans

In Scots-Gaelic, kirk is the word for "church". The origins of the ceremony known as the Kirkin' o' tha Tartans are shrouded in uncertainty. There are, however, two widely held theories. In the Disarming Act of 1746, Scots were forbidden their weapons and bagpipes, and were prohibited from wearing the tartan in any form. As Highland congregations gathered for worship, the clergy would include a blessing upon the assembled families. during the blessing, pieces of the beloved plaids, hidden in Bibles, inside coats or unde aprons, would be lovingly held to be included in the blessing.

Another story goes back to the early years of World War II. The Saint Andrew Society of Washington, D.C., initiated a series of sermons in support of the British War Relief and the Scottish Clans Evacuation Plan. When asked the title of his sermon of 2 May 1943, Dr. Peter Marshall, chaplain of the U.S. Senate, suggested the name "kirkin of the tartan". This service became an annual event of the society by that name.

Whichever origin you accept, those who wear the tartan participate in the kirkin with reference and pride in their Scottish ancestry.

(created 19 September 2002)
(source: Indiana German Heritage Society Newsletter, Vol. 18, No. 4, Fall 2002.