St. Andrew’s Day on November 30th is a day of celebration marked by Scots all over the globe, a day that serves up traditional Scottish food, bagpipes, ceilidhs and country dancing.
St Andrew was first recognised as the official patron saint of Scotland in 1320 and he has held a prominent position in Scottish culture since. But who was he? A Galilean fisherman, brother of Simon, Jesus’ first apostle, Saint Andrew was crucified by the Romans on an X-shaped cross known as a saltire, at Patras in Greece. The saltire was subsequently adopted as the national flag of the Scots.
The St. Andrew’s Society of Manila has been in existence since 1879. An event to recognize St Andrew’s Day has been held every year since then, with the exception of 1942-45, when the Philippines was occupied by the Japanese. The St Andrew’s Ball, a tradition of decades, has been hosted at the Polo Club Makati since its debut sixty-five years ago.
Christmas lights were already dripping from the trees as we drove up to the front door, which gave the evening a magical start. The entrance to the Ball is always marked by a large castle gate with turrets, and the room is decorated with family coats-of-arms and strips of tartan fabric on every table.
Highland dress abounds with tartan kilts, sporrans and ghillies for the men. “Ghillies?” you ask. Ghillies are those rather girlish-looking black, lace-up slippers worn with thick, knee-high socks that actually have a more manly purpose than their appearance suggests: apparently the laces are wrapped around and tied above the ankles so that the shoes do not get pulled off in thick mud, and there is no tongue so wet feet can dry more quickly in. (A ghillie is also the name for a Scottish gamekeeper, which you probably know if you have ever watched Monarch of the Glen.)For the women, there is a lighter style of ghillie, inappropriate for tramping through the hills, but perfect for dancing. And there are no knee-high kilts for the ladies, but ankle-length tartan skirts, worn with a tartan sash or shawl.
Originating in Scotland in the 16th century, tartans were associated with a particular region or district until the 1850s, the colours chosen from the natural dyes that could be manufactured in that area. Family names began to be associated with particular tartans during the Victorian era, when industrialization brought with it more textile variety, and Scottish patriotism was enhanced by a royal visit for George IV. The Highland dress tradition was then adopted in the lowlands and became a fashion craze that evolved into an invented – but now honoured – clan tradition. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert even bought into the trend for tartan, when they acquired Balmoral Castle and carpeted it in the patterns of the red Royal Stewart and the Stewart Hunting green.
OK, so that little bit of trivia fascinated me, but perhaps you would rather hear more about the Ball? Fair enough. Well, my One & Only always looks lovely in a dinner suit, and I looked simply gorgeous too, of course – although the faces I accidentally pulled in the photos might indicate otherwise. And unfortunately my plan to cross the border and investigate our family tartan last summer was scuppered by the Edinburgh Fringe festival, which had taken over the city and made accommodation that week a non-starter. Maybe next year.
The Chieftain and his partner were piped in by our regular piper, Roy Espiritu, a rather talented Filipino with impressive expertise on the bagpipes. This was followed by a round of national anthems. Surprisingly, it was the only time I have heard the Philippine National Anthem played without anyone breaking into song, and I swear I was the only person in the room singing (quietly) to God Save the Queen.
The whisky flowed as toasts were made and Chieftain Rob Air honoured the haggis, with great dramatic effect, in the words of Robbie Burns. (There are always lengthy discussions at committee meetings about the best place to source and store the haggis.) While there is always a touch of formality in the shape of those anthems, toasts and speeches, our current chieftain kept insisting, the evening was all about having fun. So we did.
Once all the formalities were done with, hoards of excited dancers leapt to their feet for the Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordons. My good friend Heather practices for weeks beforehand with anyone keen to learn a selection of Scottish dances so they can join in on the big night. A group of young Filipino dancers from Studio 116 –also trained by Heather and their regular instructor Julie Plummer – danced two sets with light feet and straight backs, and an effortless grace that we mere mortals could only dream of emulating. (For those of you familiar with Scottish country dances, they performed the ‘Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’ and ‘Montgomeries Rant’ with consummate skill.)
Being the food-aholic that I am, I have to say the dinner was a definite highlight. The haggis entrée was truly superb: haggis topped with ‘neep’ (mashed turnips) and a combination of squash, sinkamas (Mexican yam), carrots and mashed potatoes and infused with a hearty dash of Famous Grouse whisky. Somehow, it remained remarkably light. I have to admit that I gobbled it down in a most unladylike fashion. The steaks were perfectly cooked (if you don’t mind them blue) and everything was beautifully presented and delivered in a timely fashion – not always the case at dinner events with so many to feed. Dessert was a thick, silky smooth crème brûlée topped in a light splash of whisky that slid down my throat most joyfully. Don’t worry, I danced it all off. I hope!
More able dancers than I then enjoyed some of the more complex dances such as the Punchbowl and the Duke of Perth while I wandered off to explore the cheese buffet, and where I also found a wondrous selection of cupcakes expertly decorated by Leanne Jardine in a range of Scottish emblems. We nibbled and chatted out on the terrace, admiring the stars and the clear skies, with thanks to the APEC summit for clearing the streets and the pollution.
It was, as always, a great night for catching up with old friends and making some new ones, for casting off and quick steps, figures of eight and grand chains, for poussettes and progressions, reels and jigs and generally having a ball. Till next year, by which time I might just have located that family tartan…