Last night, I celebrated Burns Night, in the Australian Summer heat 🏴 🇦🇺
25 January is the day that people in Scotland and around the world come together to celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns …… If you’ve ever heard or sang the song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ then you have experienced one of his poems.
Have you used poetry to reflect and gain clarity for yourself or with clients?
With plenty of fun, dancing with friends, the Address to the Haggis, and a happy reconnection to my childhood spent at ceilidhs — lively Scottish gatherings of music, storytelling, and communal dancing, where no one sits on the sidelines for long
There was haggis, neeps and tatties, shared tables, and the kind of food that anchors you in the moment rather than rushing you through it
Two years ago, I celebrated Burns Night in Melbourne, celebrating the life and poetry of Robert Burns
Last year, illness meant I couldn’t
What struck me last night wasn’t just the ritual, but the return. Not rushing. Not making up for lost time. Just stepping back into something familiar, joyful, and grounding
Burns Night isn’t really only about haggis or whisky
It’s about voice, humour, belonging, and honouring ordinary human experience, wrapped up — in all its messiness and warmth ….. something I think many people could do with at the moment
Some traditions don’t fade when we step away
They simply wait
It was a reminder that wellbeing doesn’t always come from fixing or striving, but from returning
Future goals are to celebrate Burns Night in both Scotland and Germany
#BurnsNight #Ceilidh #Culture #JoyfulMoments #Celebrations #Happiness #Scotland #Melbourne #CulturalInsights #Poetry #Wellbeing
Jenn Barfield - Holistic Clarity Coaching 