Join us as we continue a decades-long Emmanuel tradition with bagpipe and the blessing of family and church tartans. Held each year near St. Andrew’s Day (November 30), the Kirkin’ is a great way to kick off Advent and the journey towards Christmas.
About The Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans
Tradition has it that the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans originates in an old Highland custom. After the defeat of the Scots by the English at Culloden in 1746, the wearing of the tartan and the keeping of other Highland customs were banned. It was hoped this would subdue forever the rebellious spirit of the Scots. However, the Scots were fervent Christians, and canny as well. They clung to their Highland customs by taking them underground. On one Sunday each year, the people went to church wearing a concealed bit of the forbidden tartan. At a certain point in the service, all touched the tartan while the minister pronounced a blessing on all tartans and on all Scots who wore them. In this way the Scots once more pledged their loyalty and respect for their old traditions.
In the United States, the Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans had its beginning with the membership of the Saint Andrew Society of Washington, DC, during the early years of World War II. Dr. Peter Marshall, then Pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church and Chaplain to the United States Senate, preached many sermons in support of the British War Relief and the Scottish Clans Evacuation Plan. Dr. Marshall’s sermons were popular, and a request was made for their publication, with the proceeds from the sales designated for war relief programs. When asked for a title to his sermon of May 2, 1943, Dr. Marshall suggested the title Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans.
It was in the same period that the Saint Andrew Society began to hold services of unified prayer for the many subjects of the British Isles. These services continued in the Washington area and soon became known as “The Kirkin’,” an annual event of the Society.
When the then Bishop of Washington, The Right Reverend Angus Dunn, became a member of the Society, he invited the annual service to be celebrated in the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on Mount Saint Alban, the Washington National Cathedral. This service continues to this day as a special occasion of perpetuation of Scotland and Her great traditions. The St. Andrew’s Society of Baltimore held its first Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans in 1957 here at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, where it has become an annual tradition, most frequently celebrated around the Feast of St. Andrew, patron of Scotland, although dates and times have been altered through the decades.
The Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans is a worship service of traditional contents, but with special significance to Scots. Central to its theme is the presentation of the tartans of clan, region, and regiment, symbolizing the rededication of the Scots everywhere to God’s service. It is enhanced by the beauty of the singing of the Psalms, the color and dignity of the presentation and the close bond of fellowship sensed by all who attend.