National Tartan Day

[honeychile]

I wear my clan insignia several days a week, but I'm going the next step and getting the sash. The people I've talked to always discourage women from wearing a kilt.

On a happier note, one of the parts that I've admired about the wearing of the plaid is that a woman can wear either her tartan or her husband's tartan.

And why oh why don't more men realize how sexy a man in a kilt truly is?!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by honeychile

I wear my clan insignia several days a week, but I'm going the next step and getting the sash. The people I've talked to always discourage women from wearing a kilt.

That's because if you're talking Scottish, a kilt is men's clothing. Women and girls wear tartan/kilted skirts, Aboyne skirts or the like. Often they look a lot like kilts, but a kilt proper is male attire.

And why oh why don't more men realize how sexy a man in a kilt truly is?!

[ForeverRoses]

At the St. Patrick's Day parade I was handed a card noting the highland festival that is going to be in Indianapolis in April (not sure if it is on Tartan day or not). Anyway, the festival is taking place at the Latvian Society.

I had to laugh that while I was attending an Irish parade, I was invited to a Scottish celebration held at the Latvian society hall. Talk about an American stew!

and one last thing- my son's first communion is coming up and I am letting him pick out his own tie to wear. He wants to wear a plaid one "like Opa wears" (my Dad). My dad's tie is our clan's plaid. But I didn't know all the rules- can my son wear the plaid from my Dad's family? (obviously he can no matter what, but I didn't know the offical rules)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

and one last thing- my son's first communion is coming up and I am letting him pick out his own tie to wear. He wants to wear a plaid one "like Opa wears" (my Dad). My dad's tie is our clan's plaid. But I didn't know all the rules- can my son wear the plaid from my Dad's family? (obviously he can no matter what, but I didn't know the offical rules)

Technically, there are no official rules -- it's more etiquette and "how things are done" (and "how things are ignored").

Bear in mind that there wasn't a clear idea of clan tartans until Victorian times. The closest one can come to real rules are the decisions of the Lord Lyon, the heraldic legal authority in Scotland. If you start from the premise that only a member of a particular clan should wear that clan's tartan, the Lord Lyon has determined that only those who bear the same surname as the chief of the clan (or the surname of a sept of that clan) is recognized as a member of that clan, as is anyone (and here's the catch-all) who offers allegiance to the chief unless the chief declines that person's allegiance.

These rules are, of course, only binding in Scotland, but even there they are not universally observed, much less enforced. Here in the States, there really are no rules (witness all the Americans who wear the Royal Stewart), but there will be some curmudgeonly-types who would like to insist on things being done just so.

In my experience, many if not most clan societies in the US (ETA: and elsewhere, sometimes including Scotland) willingly include anyone with the clan surname (or a sept surname) as well as anyone directly connected by descent or marriage to one with a clan or sept surname. With that understanding, your son would certainly be entitled to claim connection to your clan. (And I can't imagine anyone looking askew at him honoring his grandfather that way.)

Mind if I ask which clan?

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Technically, there are no official rules -- it's more etiquette and "how things are done" (and "how things are ignored").

Bear in mind that there wasn't a clear idea of clan tartans until Victorian times. The closest one can come to real rules are the decisions of the Lord Lyon, the heraldic legal authority in Scotland. If you start from the premise that only a member of a particular clan should wear that clan's tartan, the Lord Lyon has determined that only those who bear the same surname as the chief of the clan (or the surname of a sept of that clan) is recognized as a member of that clan, as is anyone (and here's the catch-all) who offers allegiance to the chief unless the chief declines that person's allegiance.

These rules are, of course, only binding in Scotland, but even there they are not universally observed, much less enforced. Here in the States, there really are no rules (witness all the Americans who wear the Royal Stewart), but there will be some curmudgeonly-types who would like to insist on things being done just so.

In my experience, many if not most clan societies in the US (ETA: and elsewhere, sometimes including Scotland) willingly include anyone with the clan surname (or a sept surname) as well as anyone directly connected by descent or marriage to one with a clan or sept surname. With that understanding, your son would certainly be entitled to claim connection to your clan. (And I can't imagine anyone looking askew at him honoring his grandfather that way.)

Mind if I ask which clan?

I knew I asked in the right place! thank you!

The tie and our last name is part of the clan MacDonald. However through my parernal grandmother, my father has been able to trace us back to the clans of MacGreggor and Beals as well (however those MacGreggors came to the US in the 1640s).

My Dad is a geneologist and history buff so he loves to share stories of our family history with my oldest son- who has turned into a history buff himself.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I knew I asked in the right place! thank you!

The tie and our last name is part of the clan MacDonald. However through my parernal grandmother, my father has been able to trace us back to the clans of MacGreggor and Beals as well (however those MacGreggors came to the US in the 1640s).

My Dad is a geneologist and history buff so he loves to share stories of our family history with my oldest son- who has turned into a history buff himself.

Cool!

You might want to check out the website of Clan Donald USA, where we find:

Clan Donald-USA embraces all the MacDonalds and other surnames that are recognized as branches or adherents of the greatest of the Highland clans.

Clan Donald-USA is an affiliation of persons who qualify by reason of blood, kinship, marriage or legal adoption. Name alone does not count. Clanship is a family matter that transcends nationality, and we regard ourselves as an extended family.

[honeychile]

I have more than one Scots lineage. The clan to which I belong, however, wears the following tartan:


Which gets amusing when you see that of my childhood best friend :


But another lineage of mine is a sept of the McDonald clan!


If anyone can find a picture of Princess Anne's second wedding, when she wore a simple white dress and her tartan sash, I've been looking for it for years!


Laird MysticCat, which tartan will ye be sportin'?

[aephi alum]

If only my tartan skirt still fit.

Originally Posted by honeychile

On a happier note, one of the parts that I've admired about the wearing of the plaid is that a woman can wear either her tartan or her husband's tartan.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that it works both ways - a man can wear his wife's tartan.

And why oh why don't more men realize how sexy a man in a kilt truly is?!

Indeed! *yum*