Dear fellow Caledonians,

November is the month we remember, and give thanks. Depending on where you grew up, November 11th is known as Armistice Day, Poppy Day, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. It originated with the signing of an armistice (a cessation of fighting) on November 11, 1918 thereby ending the Great War. The agreement was signed by Sir Douglas Haig, a Scotsman who was Commander in Chief of the British Army. By the way, his family owned the Haig whisky distillery!

Locally there are Veterans Day parades in Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Anthem and Surprise. Check the local Chambers of Commerce for details.

We have another opportunity to remember the fallen in the Scottish community. On the Sunday closest to Remembrance Day, there’s a Memorial Service at The City of Mesa Cemetery to honor the 22 RAF Cadets that were killed during WW2 training exercises at Mesa’s Falcon Field. This year’s service  begins at 10:45 am on Sunday November 8th, where the Society will be laying a wreath, accompanied by the Scottish American Military Society, and the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band.

Need another Scottish gathering fix? Take in the Tucson Celtic Festival November 6-8 at Rialto Park. The CSA’s tent is in the Clans area.

Keeping with the military theme, our November 12th meeting will feature a ‘Remembrance Table’ ceremony by Post 48 of the Scottish American Military Society, followed with an illustrated talk by Kevin Conquest, Senior Drum Major of the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band.

Finally, make a note on your calendar to attend a Cultural Fair on Saturday, November 21st from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road. Nessie will be there along with local Highland Dancers. Wear your tartan and give us a hand at the CSA Information table.

Oh…Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget St. Andrews Day on November 30th. (more about that in our next issue). Slainte! DON

In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, tho' poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae was a poet and physician from Guelph, Ontario. He developed an interest in poetry at a young age and wrote throughout his life. His earliest works were published in the mid-1890's in Canadian magazines and newspapers. McCrae's poetry often focused on death and the peace that followed.

At the age of 41, McCrae enrolled with the Canadian Expeditionary Force following the outbreak of the First World War. He had the option of joining the medical corps because of his training and age, but he volunteered instead to join a fighting unit as a gunner and medical officer. It was his second tour of duty in the Canadian military. He had previously fought with a volunteer force in the Second Boer War. He considered himself a soldier first; his father was a military leader in Guelph and McCrae grew up believing in the duty of fighting for his country and empire.

McCrae fought in the second battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium where the German army launched one of the first chemical attacks in the history of war. They attacked the Canadian position with chlorine gas on April 22, 1915, but were unable to break through the Canadian line, which held for over two weeks. In a letter written to his mother, McCrae described the battle as a "nightmare". "For seventeen days and seventeen nights none of us have had our clothes off, nor our boots even, except occasionally. In all that time while I was awake, gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for sixty seconds.... And behind it all was the constant background of the sights of the dead, the wounded, the maimed, and a terrible anxiety lest the line should give way." Alexis Helmer, a close friend, was killed during the battle on May 2.

McCrae performed the burial service himself, at which time he noted how poppies quickly grew around the graves of those who died at Ypres. The next day, he composed the poem while sitting in the back of an ambulance at an Advanced Dressing Station outside Ypres. This location is today known as the John McCrae Memorial Site.

Source: Wikipedia (Image, poem and bio)

Remembrance Poppies

Inspired by "In Flanders Fields", American professor Moina Michael resolved at the war's conclusion in 1918 to wear a red poppy year-round to honour the soldiers who had died in the war. She also wrote a poem in response called "We Shall Keep the Faith". She distributed silk poppies to her peers and campaigned to have them adopted as an official symbol of remembrance by the American Legion.

Madame E. Guérin attended the 1920 convention where the Legion supported Michael's proposal and was herself inspired to sell poppies in her native France to raise money for the war's orphans. In 1921, Guérin sent poppy sellers to London ahead of Armistice Day, attracting the attention of Field Marshal Douglas Haig. A co-founder of The Royal British Legion, Haig supported and encouraged the sale. The practice quickly spread throughout the British Empire.

The wearing of poppies in the days leading up to Remembrance Day remains popular in many areas of the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly Great Britain, Canada, and South Africa, and in the days leading up to ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand.

November 1 - Samhain

Last month this diagram was shown of the Celtic calendar with its seasons and festival  days.  Samhain (pronounced sah-win) is the Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or “the dark half” of the year. 

Traditionally the festival is celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset November 1.  This festival falls approximately halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.  It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, which are also celebrated approximately halfway between the two yearly solstices and equinoxes:  Imbolc-February 1, Beltrane-May 1 and Lughnasadh-Ausust 1.

The modern Irish name is Samhain, in Scottish Gaelic Samhainn and in Manx Sauin.  These are also the names of November in each language.  These names all come from “Old Irish”.   

November 1 - St. Andrew's Day

St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and his day is celebrated on November 30.  Andrew, the brother of St. Peter, is said to have died on an “X” shaped cross.  This shape is now reflected on the Scottish flag (the Saltire) a white X on a field of blue.

There is a lot of folklore associated with St. Andrew’s Day, particularly around young women who hope to marry.  At midnight as November 29 becomes November 30, young women prayed to be shown signs from their future husbands.  They peeled an apple in such a way that the peel remained in a long, single piece and threw this over their shoulders.  The shape that the peel formed on the ground indicated the first letter of their future husbands’ names.

Many Scottish associations or groups celebrate St. Andrew’s Day with a dinner similar to the Robert Burns suppers. 

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Maschino School of Highland Dance

We neglected to mention that the featured Dancers at the Diamondback's Celtic Heritage Day were from the Maschino School of Highland Dance.

On Sunday September 13th they joined the Society and other Celtic groups based in the Valley to attend the Diamondbacks vs. LA Dodgers baseball game at Chase Field.

We apologize for the omission.

You can visit the School and see more pictures like these at their Facebook Page

Scotcheroos - by Gail WYlie

1 cup sugar                                    1 cup light syrup
1 cup peanut butter                         6 cups Rice Krispies

Cook sugar & syrup in 3-quart saucepan, moderate heat, unti lit begins to boil.
Remove from heat.
Stir in the peanut butter. 
Mix in Rice Krispies.
Press into buttered 13 x 9-inch pan.
Let harden.

Topping:
1 x 6 oz. package (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips.
1 x 6 oz. package (1 cup) butterscotch chips.
Melt over hot, not boiling water.
Stir to blend.
Spread over Krispies  mixture.
Chill about 5 minutes, until top is firm.
Cut into bars.                                                 Yield: 48 2 x 1 inch bars

Odds and Sods
From The Scotsman's 'Scotland on Sunday'