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St Andrew's Day One Scotland Ceilidh
Uniting Scotland
Revellers of all nationalities celebrated St Andrew's Day at the One Scotland. Many Cultures Ceilidh on Thursday 30 November...
After the success of last year's event, the Scottish Government One Scotland-sponsored Ceilidh in Edinburgh took place on St Andrew's Day.
It was a night of live music, ceilidh dancing and unity in the Lawnmarket area on Edinburgh's Royal Mile four hours of free entertainment celebrating Scotland's special day.
First Minister, Jack McConnell* commented on the annual celebration:
"St Andrew's Day is more than just a chance to pay tribute to ourselves and to our national saint it's a chance to remind the world that Scotland is a great country and a great place to visit, study or live. It is important that, while we celebrate the past, we also look to the future with confidence."
High winds did nothing to dampen the spirits of the thousands of revellers who turned up. However the event was moved inside to the Main Hall of the Hub, a converted church and official headquarters of the Edinburgh International Festival, on Castlehill for safety.
As the bands took to the stage, crowds of eager faces of all nationalities and ages looked on in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Some men even braved the wind and attended in traditional Scottish dress... the kilt.
Malcolm Chisholm, the Scottish Parliament Minister for Communities, officially opened the event.
He said: "This is one of six events in Scotland. St Andrew's Day is also being celebrated at around 100 events in 80 different countries across the globe."
Plates of traditional Scottish stovies (meat, potato and onions) were on offer to keep the revellers going some in woolly hats and the odd cocktail dress.
Decorated with saltire (the St Andrew's cross) flags and lit up with spotlights in all colours of the rainbow, Dochas, a group of five girls performing traditional Scottish and Irish music and Gaelic song, got the party started.
The floor of the Main Hall thumped to the beat of the music and the onlookers tapped their feet and clapped along to the uplifting sounds.
Leigh from Edinburgh commented: "It's a great venue for a ceilidh and I love this building!"
The emphasis on 'One Scotland. Many Cultures' was reflected in the choice of bands. A group of musicians collectively known as Moishe's Bagel, exploded on to the stage with their infectious Eastern European dance music which blew the crowd away and had them dancing in circles kicking their legs in the air.
Guests were also invited to enter the One Scotland in the Picture in which the Scottish Government's One Scotland campaign has joined forces with Scottish Television (STV) to find a positive illustration of the rich diversity that makes Scotland such a great place.
Find out more about One Scotland in the Picture and enter the competition
Aishwarya Tipnis from Bombay, India is studying an MSc in European Urban Conservation at the University of Dundee. She said:
"This is my first experience of a ceilidh and I am loving it so far! I have had such a welcome here I really think of Scotland as my second home and I don't mind the weather!"
Another enthusiastic guest Anurag Chatrath, from New Delhi in India, who is studying Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh, was also impressed: "I know it's a big day here and I know St Andrew is the patron saint. I have been to four ceilidh's already in Scotland I love the fact they are communal dances, there's a great sense of community."
The evening came to a close at around 10.45pm with local Edinburgh favourites, Shooglenifty.
"I've heard people talk about ceilidhs but I didn't know what they were! But I have been dancing big time tonight!" said Johan, a student from Hamburg.
The event was considered a resounding success and by St Andrew's Day 2007, the day may have been officially proclaimed a national holiday...
* Archived Material - May 2007 Alex Salmond was elected as First Minister
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