Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans

The Scottish-American Society will hold a Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 399 Hope Street, Bristol, RI on November 16th.  The service will begin at 10:00 a.m.; please arrive by 9:30 a.m. as parking is limited.  If you have questions or wish to participate in the kirkin’, please contact Richmond Cargill at 401-338-5931

“Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan” is  a Scottish-American worship service that celebrates the Scottish identity.  The name combines “kirk,” the Scottish word for church, and “tartan,” the plaid cloth that symbolizes Scottish clans. The modern service includes bagpipes and a procession of clan banners, and is based on an oral tradition of secretly blessing family tartans during a time when the wearing of tartan was forbidden after the Battle of Culloden.