About Tartan
Technically speaking, tartan is a pattern
woven from threads, usually of two or more colours, which cross at
right angles in a rectangular pattern. The primary difference from a
check pattern is that with a tartan there are points where the
different colours cross, forming an intermediate colour, or speckled
blend of the two colours. Historically, patterns dating from the Iron
Age which are similar to today’s Tartan have been found in
China, while samples in Britain possibly date back to the 3rd
century. There are strict rules regarding the design and patterning
of modern Tartans.
To a Scot though, Tartan is so much
more than a distinctive, beautifully patterned weave. Tartan is a
symbol of homeland, family, culture and heritage. Whether worn, or
simply observed during ceremonies, Tartan invariably evokes a
powerful emotional response for people of Scottish descent. From
early times Scots would wear Tartan clothing that was distinctive to
a weaver from their area of origin. Over time, these patterns became
more closely identified with a region, and by extension, often with
the Clan of the same region. Following the Jacobite struggles, the
Dress Act of 1746 was passed in an attempt to restrict the wearing of
tartans. The Act was ineffective and only served to create a strong
romantic and nationalistic base for the resurgence of Clan awareness
and tartan identity. The leading weaving manufacturer of the late
18th and early 19th centuries was William Wilson & Sons, and the
company amassed a collection of Tartan samples that were carefully
described and recorded. From 1815 official Clan Tartans were named
and registered, and today virtually every Clan has at least one
distinct tartan.
Contributed by Alan Wilson of Highland Line
OTTAWA, March 9, 2011 - It's official!
Canada's Maple Leaf Tartan, which has been our unofficial national
tartan for many years, has now become an official symbol of
Canada.
"The Maple Leaf Tartan has been worn proudly and
enjoyed by Canadians for decades, but has never been elevated to the
level of an official symbol–until now," said the
Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official
Languages.
"Our national symbols express our identity and
define our history. The Maple Leaf Tartan represents the
contributions that the more than four million Canadians of Scottish
heritage continue to make to our country," added Minister
Moore.
The Maple Leaf Tartan was created in 1964 by David
Weiser in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of Confederation in
1967.
"The tartan is one of the most visual expressions
of Scottish heritage and culture," said the Honourable John
Wallace, Senator (New Brunswick). "Making the Maple Leaf Tartan
an official symbol of Canada highlights the many significant
contributions that people of Scottish heritage have made to the
founding of Canada."
The Second Battalion of the Royal
Canadian Regiment Pipes and Drums has adopted the Maple Leaf Tartan,
and National Defence Headquarters has approved it for issue for
Canadian Forces pipers and drummers who do not have a specific
regimental affiliation. It was also featured in costumes worn last
year during the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.
On
October 21, 2010, the Government of Canada announced that April 6
will be formally recognized as Tartan Day. This April 6, Canadians
across the country will be able to celebrate this day with a new
official symbol of Canada.
As an official symbol of
Canada, the Maple Leaf Tartan joins Canada's most significant
emblems, such as the Coat of Arms and the National Flag of
Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/official-symbols-canada.html#a9
Tartan Day is a North American celebration of Scottish heritage on 6 April, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. It originated in Canada in the mid-1980s. It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora in the 1990s. In Australia the similar International Tartan Day is held on 1 July, the anniversary of the repeal of the 1747 Act of Proscription that banned the wearing of tartan.
Tartan Days typically have parades of pipe bands, Highland dancing and other Scottish-themed events.
Origins
On 9 March 1986, a 'Tartan Day' to promote Scottish heritage in Canada was proposed at a meeting of the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. Jean Watson, President of Clan Lamont, petitioned provincial legislatures to recognize 6 April as Tartan Day. The first such proclamation was by Nova Scotia in April 1987. On 19 December 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans & Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution proclaiming 6 April as Tartan Day, following the example of other Canadian provinces.
Meeting in 1997 in Sarasota, Florida, the Scottish Coalition USA looked to see Tartan Day recognized in the US as it was being observed in Canada. In 1998, the efforts of the Scottish Coalition with the leading help of Trent Lott saw the United States Senate Resolution adopt April 6 as National Tartan Day. This led in turn to the Congressional and then Presidential passing of the recognition of Tartan Day Observance on 6 April each year.
In Australia, wearing tartan on 1 July has been encouraged since 1989. The day has been promoted as International Tartan Day in Australia since 1996 and has been formally recognised by some states, but not at national level.
Canada
About 15.1% or 4.7 million Canadians claim Scottish descent. As stated above, Tartan Day (French: Journée du Tartan) in Canada originated with a proposal from the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia and has since been proclaimed by all the provincial legislatures. In Oct. 21, 2010, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announced that the Government of Canada will now officially recognize April 6 as Tartan Day nationally.
The 2011 celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa marked the first time that Tartan Day has been celebrated with Canada's official tartan having been named: the Maple Leaf.
Some Information from Wikipedia
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct.
21, 2010) - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages, announced today that the Government of Canada
will now officially recognize April 6 as Tartan Day.
"A
tartan represents a clan, a family, and a community, and is an
enduring symbol of Scotland that is cherished by Canadians of
Scottish ancestry," said Minister Moore. "Many Canadian
provinces and other countries already celebrate Tartan Day. As well,
through Tartan Day, Canadians will have an opportunity to learn more
about the various cultures that comprise Canadian society."
Tartan
Day originated in the late 1980s in Nova Scotia, where it was
declared an official day by the provincial government. It then spread
across the country, with many provinces joining in. This marks the
first time the Day has been recognized by the federal
government.
"By officially recognizing this Day, we
encourage Canadians all across the country to celebrate the
contributions that over four million Canadians of Scottish heritage
continue to make to the foundation of our country," said Senator
John Wallace, who recently introduced a bill in the Senate in support
of nationally declaring Tartan Day.
In Canada, Tartan Day is
celebrated on April 6, the anniversary of the Declaration of
Arbroath, the Scottish declaration of independence. Tartan Day
celebrations typically include parades of pipe bands, Highland
dancing and sports, and other Scottish-themed events.
This
news release is available on the Internet at
www.canadianheritage.gc.ca
under Newsroom.
The Following article is from Grip Fast
Volume 4, Issue 2, March 2011.
The Newsletter of Clan Leslie
April 6th is Tartan Day in Canada and the
United States. This date was chosen as it is the date that the
Declaration of Arborath was signed. This Declaration was Scotland's
declaration of independence from England. John Prebble, in his book
The Lion of the North,
stated that "The Declaration of Arborath
was and has been unequalled in its eloquent plea for the liberty of
man. From the darkness of medieval minds it shone a torch upon future
struggles which its signatories could not have seen or understood."
Prebble noted that there are two points that make this
declaration "the most important document
in Scottish history":
"Firstly,
it set the will and the wishes of the people above the King."
In other words, there was no "divine
right of kings." That kings served the
people, and that kings could be made by selection and not necessarily
by birth. "Secondly, the manifesto
affirmed the nation's independence in a way no battle could, and
justified it with a truth that is beyond nation and race. Man has a
right to freedom and a duty to defend it with his life."
I
will quote from page 27 of Grip Fast: The
Leslies in History by Alexander Leslie
Klieforth who wrote most eloquently:
"In
1320 eight earls and 31 of the great barons and major clergy of
Scotland, among them [Baron] Andrew Leslie, sent a letter to Pope
John XXII, known as the Declaration of Arborath. It is a
revolutionary assertion by a nation of people of their desire for
freedom and the right to choose their own government and is a
statement of the leadership of Scotland about their country and its
aspirations, and as a political document it ranks in purpose and
power of language with the American Declaration of Independence. In
ringing Latin prose it set forth certain claims and affirmations. It
asks the Pope to urge the King of England to desist from his designs
on their nation, to 'leave us Scots in peace, who live in this poor
little Scotland . . . and covet nothing but our own.' "
It
states the will of the people for independence:
'As
long as but a hundred of us remain alive never will we be under any
condition be brought under English rule.
It is in truth, not for
glory, nor riches, nor honour that we are fighting, but for freedom -
for that alone which no honest man give up but with life
itself.'
David Leslie White, Chieftain
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Canadian
Provincial & Territorial Tartans
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All of
Canada's provinces and territories, have regional tartans, as do
many other regional divisions in Canada. The first province to
adopt one officially was Nova Scotia in 1955, and the most recent
province was Ontario, in 2000. Except for the tartan of Quebec,
all of the provincial and territorial tartans are officially
recognized and registered in the books of the Court of the Lord
Lyon, King of Arms of Scotland, also with the Scottish Register of
Tartans at www.tartanregister.gov.uk
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