Burns Night 2026

When Is Burns Night in 2026?

In 2026, Burns Night falls on January 25. The observance lasts 1 evening. Burns Night is observed on a fixed date each year. Not a public holiday but widely observed in Scotland and Scottish diaspora communities on or around January 25. Burns suppers — featuring haggis, neeps, tatties, whisky, and recitations of Burns's poetry — are often held on the nearest Friday or Saturday. Closely follows Scottish Hogmanay. Burns Night is observed on the same date each year: January 25. Here are the dates for the next five years: Year Date 2026 January 25 2027 January 25 2028 January 25 2029 January 25 2030 January 25

What Time Does Burns Night Start in Your Time Zone?

Burns Night is fixed on January 25 — Robert Burns's birthday in 1759. As a non-statutory holiday in Scotland (it is not a bank holiday), it is observed on January 25 itself, regardless of the day of the week. Burns suppers are often held on the nearest Friday or Saturday to January 25, since most people prefer to celebrate on a weekend when they do not have to work the next day. In 2026, January 25 falls on a Sunday, so Burns suppers are typically held on Friday January 23 or Saturday January 24. Because Burns Night is a fixed Gregorian date, it is timezone-independent. Scots in all parts of the country observe Burns Night on (or near) January 25. The Scottish diaspora — particularly in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand — also observes Burns Night, with events at Scottish cultural societies. The timing of Burns suppers varies by location and tradition, but the structure of the meal — Selkirk Grace, haggis ceremony, Immortal Memory, toasts, and Auld Lang Syne — is the same worldwide. The table below shows the observance date for Burns Night in major time zones around the world: Location Observance Date Time Zone New York, USA January 25 EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4) London, UK January 25 GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1) New Delhi, India January 25 IST (UTC+5:30) Sydney, Australia January 25 AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) Dubai, UAE January 25 GST (UTC+4)

The Story Behind Burns Night

Burns Night, observed on (or around) January 25, is a Scottish celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns (1759-1796), the national poet of Scotland. Burns is one of the most beloved figures in Scottish culture, known for his poems and songs in Scots (the Lowlands Scottish language) and in English. His most famous works include "Auld Lang Syne" (sung worldwide on New Year's Eve), "Tam o' Shanter," "To a Mouse," "A Red, Red Rose," and "Address to a Haggis." Burns Night has been observed since 1801 — five years after Burns's death — and is one of the most distinctive cultural celebrations in Scotland. Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759, in Alloway, Ayrshire, the son of a tenant farmer. He received a good education and began writing poetry as a young man, drawing on the folk traditions of rural Scotland. His first collection, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786), was an immediate success, and Burns became famous throughout Scotland. He spent his last years in Dumfries, where he worked as an exciseman (tax collector) and continued to write and collect folk songs. He died on July 21, 1796, at age 37, of endocarditis. Burns's poetry captured the life of rural Scotland — its loves, its labors, its politics, its humor — and his use of the Scots language gave dignity to a tongue that had been dismissed as a mere dialect of English. His work also reflected the democratic ideals of the Scottish Enlightenment, and he became a symbol of Scottish national identity. The first Burns Night was held on January 29, 1801 (the date that Burns's friends mistakenly believed was his birthday) at Burns Cottage in Alloway, where Burns was born. The gathering included readings of Burns's poetry, speeches in his honor, and a meal of haggis. The event was repeated annually, and the date was corrected to January 25 (Burns's actual birthday) in 1803. The tradition spread throughout Scotland and to the Scottish diaspora worldwide, and Burns Night is now celebrated in countries with significant Scottish heritage — including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and others — as well as in Scotland itself. Burns suppers range from informal gatherings of friends to formal banquets with hundreds of guests, but they all share a common structure of toasts, poetry readings, and the eating of haggis.

How Burns Night Is Celebrated

The Burns supper — the central tradition of Burns Night — follows a specific format that has been observed since the early 19th century. The meal typically begins with the Selkirk Grace, a short prayer attributed to Burns: "Some hae meat and canna eat, / And some wad eat that want it; / But we hae meat, and we can eat, / Sae let the Lord be thankit." The main dish — haggis — is then brought in with great ceremony. A piper plays while the haggis is carried to the table, and the host (or a designated guest) recites Burns's "Address to a Haggis" — a poem that praises the haggis as the "great chieftain o' the pudding-race." At the line "An' cut you up wi' ready slight," the host cuts the haggis open with a knife. The haggis is then served with neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (mashed potatoes), along with a whisky sauce. After the meal, the "Immortal Memory" toast is given — a speech in which a designated speaker discusses Burns's life, poetry, and significance. The toast is the intellectual heart of the Burns supper, and is typically the longest speech of the evening. This is followed by the "Toast to the Lassies" — a humorous speech in praise of women, traditionally given by a male guest — and the "Reply to the Toast to the Lassies" — a similarly humorous response by a female guest. The toasts are followed by further readings of Burns's poetry, the singing of Burns's songs, and Scottish country dancing (ceilidh). The evening concludes with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" — Burns's most famous song, sung worldwide on New Year's Eve. Burns Night is celebrated in homes, pubs, hotels, and community halls across Scotland. Formal Burns suppers are often black-tie events, with men in kilts (in their clan tartan) and women in evening dress or tartan sashes. Informal suppers are common in homes, with families and friends gathering for haggis, neeps, and tatties, with whisky to drink. Schools hold Burns poetry recitation competitions, with children memorizing and reciting Burns's poems. Burns Night is also celebrated by Scottish diaspora communities worldwide — particularly in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong — with Burns suppers at Caledonian societies and Scottish cultural clubs. The largest Burns supper outside Scotland is held in London, organized by the London Scottish Regiment.

Burns Night on the Calendar

Burns Night is fixed on January 25, the date of Robert Burns's birth in 1759. The date never changes. The day of the week on which January 25 falls determines whether Burns suppers are held on the actual date or on the nearest weekend. In 2026, January 25 is a Sunday, so most Burns suppers are held on the preceding Friday or Saturday. The choice of January 25 as Burns's birthday is itself a bit of a story — Burns was actually born on January 25, 1759, by the Julian calendar (which Scotland still used at the time), which corresponds to February 5, 1759, by the Gregorian calendar (which Scotland adopted in 1752). The January 25 date has nonetheless become the universally accepted date for Burns Night.

Fixed on January 25 (birthday of poet Robert Burns, 1759); celebrations may extend to nearest weekend

Did You Know? Burns Night Facts & Trivia

Burns Night celebrates the life and poetry of Robert Burns (1759-1796), the national poet of Scotland. Burns is one of the most beloved figures in Scottish culture, known for his poems and songs in Scots (the Lowlands Scottish language) and in English. His most famous works include "Auld Lang Syne" — sung worldwide on New Year's Eve. The first Burns Night was held on January 29, 1801 (the date that Burns's friends mistakenly believed was his birthday) at Burns Cottage in Alloway, where Burns was born. The gathering included readings of Burns's poetry, speeches in his honor, and a meal of haggis. The event was repeated annually, and the date was corrected to January 25 (Burns's actual birthday) in 1803. The Burns supper — the central tradition of Burns Night — follows a specific format that has been observed since the early 19th century. The meal begins with the Selkirk Grace, then the haggis is brought in with great ceremony — a piper plays while the haggis is carried to the table, and the host recites Burns's "Address to a Haggis," a poem that praises the haggis as the "great chieftain o' the pudding-race." After the meal, the "Immortal Memory" toast is given — a speech in which a designated speaker discusses Burns's life, poetry, and significance. This is followed by the "Toast to the Lassies" and the "Reply to the Toast to the Lassies" — humorous speeches in praise of women. The evening concludes with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."