Tartan Day

Happy Tartan Day!

The Tartan Day celebrations originate from Canada. The first time it was celebrated in 1987 in Nova Scotia. Since that the word has spread and other countries have started to recognise the day promoting Scottish heritage. Today on the April 6th festivals and parades are held mostly across the USA and Canada, but also Argentina has Tartan Day Parade. Argentina has around 100,000 people of Scottish descent, the largest such community apart from the English-speaking countries.

Tartan is one of the most recognisable patterns ever. Did you know that the world's first colour photograph, taken in 1861 by James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish theoretical physicist, was of a tartan ribbon? Or that in 1969 Alan Bean took a large swatch of MacBean tartan to the moon with him?

Did you know that there are thousands of different designs of tartan? You can search the different tartans or even register your own design on the Scottish Register of Tartans. Traditionally people wear the tartan, which relates to their surname. If there is no appropriate name tartan, look for a district tartan connected to the area where your ancestors lived. 

Whatever your clan, wear your clan colours proud!