Tartan Week, New York City

Tartan Week has kicked off in New York City.  I was able to watch some of the 5K race in Central Park  on a BEEE-u-T-Ful Saturday.  What a great day for it.  I got to listen to a folk group jam in the park and just be happy to be alive (and Scottish).

This evening I went with Brad and Sean to a Harry Benson retrospective at a Soho gallery put on by The Scottish Affairs Office.  I didn't know who Mr. Benson was and then I walked into gallery and looked at all the iconic photos around the room including the Beatles having a pillow fight in a hotel room. I was blown away.

Sean, who is a photographer himself,  and I got to speak with him and as I shook his hand I was taken with the fact that this Glasgow-born man was at RFK's assassination, photographed the Queen and Princess Diana and umpteen photos of my beloved Glasgow, plus Mohammad Ali and the Beatles and Greta Garbo and Liz Taylor and just about everyone and here I was being thanked for such kind words from this guy. Wow.  It was incredible.

We had filet mignon hors d'eouvres and mingled with the guests including Betty Buckley who is somewhat of an icon herself.

Scotland Week, er, Tartan Week

I cover these caps. Please find me one and give it to me!

The Tartan Day Parade took place today on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. This parade is held every year during Tartan Week or Scotland Week. It depends who you talk to what the actual week is called as the name changes. There is a Scotland Week and a Tartan Day within that Scotland Week but there is also a Tartan Week and it all seems to be the same thing. Confusing. Seems like point #1 that the planning committee should get sorted.

Bands marching in front of Radio City.

It is not nearly as huge as the St. Patrick's Day Parade but that parade has about 120 years on this one. I was glad to notice that this parade is getting bigger though I personally saw no promotion for it. People seemed to enjoy it. It won't be deemed a true success until we see underage kids heaving into garbage cans along the side lines like you see at the St. Pat's parade however.

Men marching with a caber.


Dignitaries including Alan Cumming, Grand Marshall, second from right.

As a side note, the St. Patrick's Day parade won't allow gay groups to march (really!) and the Scots ask an out gay man to be their Grand Marshall. Love that.

The whole week, day, event thing is based on April 6th being the signing of the Treaty of Arbroath, basically Scottish Independence Day.

Here is the whole proclamation for my proclamation-reading readers:

The National Tartan Day Resolution:

Whereas April 6 has a special significance for all Americans, and especially those Americans of Scottish descent, because the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on that inspirational document; Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this Nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of independence were of Scottish descent, the Governors in 9 of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this Nation through its most troubled times; Whereas this resolution recognizes the monumental achievements and invaluable contributions made by Scottish Americans that have led to America's preeminence in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, economics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts; Whereas this resolution commends the more than 200 organizations throughout the United States that honor Scottish heritage, tradition, and culture, representing the hundreds of thousands of Americans of Scottish descent, residing in every State, who already have made the observance of Tartan Day on April 6 a success; Whereas these numerous individuals, clans, societies, clubs, and fraternal organizations do not let the great contributions of the Scottish people go unnoticed: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate designates April 6 of each year as "National Tartan Day".