First Presbyterian Church will celebrate its Scottish origins with its 15th annual “Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans” next Sunday.
The celebration is open to the public and has become a tradition for not only the church and its congregation but also the community.
“This event is important for Presbyterians because we are celebrating our Scottish heritage and the thousands who left Scotland and Northern Ireland and came to America,” said the Rev. Dr. Rusty Douglas. “They brought with them their Christian faith and the Presbyterian church.”
This year, the new addition to don the knee-length traditional garment is Solon Scott, who won the annual kilt election at last year’s luncheon.
“The ways we think and live out the faith were greatly influenced by those Presbyterians from Scotland,” said Douglas. “We’re claiming our heritage.”
Celebrations will begin on Saturday with the Kirkin’ Golf Tournament, or Kirkin’ Cup, at Greenwood Country Club, which honors a game invented in Scotland. There, golf has been played for more than 500 years.
On Sunday, the “Kirkin’” lecture will given in the church parlor by the Rev. Dr. Daniel W. Massie, pastor of First Scots Church in Charleston, S.C.
Massie is a Mississippi native, graduated from Belhaven College and Union Presbyterian Seminary and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Lees-McRae College. He did post-graduate work at New College in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Following the lecture, members of the Lyons College pipes and drums band will present a concert in front of the sanctuary on Main Street.
Then, the “Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans” service will be held in the church. It includes a procession into the sanctuary with pipers, flags, swords and banners. Massie will deliver the sermon and ask for God’s blessing on the families represented by the tartans presented.
A Sunday pork loin luncheon cooked by Hayden Gragson and Scott Lovelace will be held after the service at Shuler Hall, which is across the street from the church. Tickets are $7 for adults and $2 for children 10 and under.
During the lunch, the kilt election will be held. Wade Litton and Floyd Melton III are the nominees to receive a kilt for next year’s event.
“It is a good thing for everyone to know their family history,” said Ray Smithee, director of music at First Presbyterian Church. “It is a good thing for Christians to know the history of the denomination they belong to.”
“Kirk” is the Scottish word for “church” or, in this usage for the celebration, “blessing.” Tartans are the distinctive plaids that specify Scottish clans, regions or regiments. Therefore, the “Kirkin O’ the Tartans” is a presentation of a Scottish family’s symbol — the tartan — at church to receive a blessing.
The tradition was started in 1746, after Scottish forces led by Prince Charles Edward Stewart were defeated in an attempt to dethrone George II of England. Following the defeat, wearing tartans and playing bagpipes were outlawed and even punishable by death. During this time, Scots would wear concealed pieces of tartans to church. They would subtly touch the hidden fabric, and the minister would offer a blessing during the service.
A revival of this service and a celebration of Scottish heritage in the Presbyterian church was created with the first formal “Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans” in 1941 in Washington D.C., and has since spread throughout the nation. In 1998, the celebration arrived in Greenwood.
“The Scottish Presbyterians brought with them when they came to America a strong Calvinist work ethic, a love of education and a fiercely independent spirit,” said Douglas.
Many who attend the service view “Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans” as an opportunity to reflect on their own family and ethnic heritage.
“Prior to coming to First Presbyterian Church in 2005, I had never heard of a ‘Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans’ service. Having not been raised a Presbyterian, I knew nothing of the church’s origins in Scotland,” said Smithee. “Our ‘Kirkin’’ celebrations have been a vehicle by which I have learned much through the lectures and sermons of our guest preachers about the history of the Presbyterian church in Scotland and the influences Presbyterian Scots have had on the formation and development of the U.S.”
The celebration encouraged Smithee to look into his family lineage to learn more about his family ties to Scotland on www.ancestry.com.
“I discovered through research that I had connections to at least four different Scottish clans,” said Smithee. “On the that day (of the event), when I hear the pipes and I am in my kilt and we are focused on all things Scottish, I do feel some mystical connection to my Scottish roots.”
To learn more about “Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans” or buy tickets, call the church office at 453-4680.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
