Happy observed National Tartan Day! Yesterday, marked the 20th anniversary of the recognized US celebration, though Scottish Americans have been celebrating it for years. If you didn’t already know, tartan is a pattern of horizontal and vertical bands of colors usually done in woolen fabric, though now it’s seen in a variety of fabric types. Specific tartan patterns are associated with a particular Scottish clan.

In 1998, National Tartan Day was official recognized and designated on April 6th. According to the American Scottish Foundation, the passage of this bill was due to the work of the National Capital Tartan Committee, Inc., and president James Morrison. The day April 6th was chosen to commemorate the Declaration of Arbroath, a letter written in 1320 to Pope John XXII declaring Scotland’s independence.

New York City has been putting on the Tartan Day parade for 20 years now. The American Scottish Foundation has a week long series of events.  There’s the Tea with the author of “The Last Highlander”, Sarah Fraser, performers in Bryant Park, the parade after party at BB Kings and, of course, the New York Tartan Day Parade. This year’s parade had drummers, dancers, singers and bagpipe players from near and far including Bucks Co, Pennsylvania  to Canada and all the way to the UK. My favorite were The Shamrock & Thistle Pipes and Drums from Ocean County, New Jersey; though I might be a little biased. For the first time, the Grand Marshal leading the parade is a woman; singer and songwriter KT Tunstall.

Don’t worry; if you missed the parade, you can still catch the next event “Scotland on the Fountain Terrace” tomorrow at Bryant Park. It runs from 12:30 to 1:30 pm and there will be a variety of singers and other performers. There’s also another Sarah Fraser book signing of “The Prince who would be King – the life and death of Henry Stuart”. So, what’s your favorite way to celebrate National Tartan Day?