First Presbyterian Church will celebrate its denomination’s Scottish heritage with its 22nd annual Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans celebration Sunday morning, March 7.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some modifications have been made to the yearly event. However, men and women will be still be wearing Scottish dress, including kilts.
“It’ll be a little pared down from previous years due to COVID, but we will still enjoy a great day of celebration for our Scottish heritage,” said Bill Crump, a member of the church and chairman of the Kirkin’ committee.
There will be a smaller drum and bagpipe group, rather than a full-size band, and there will not be a luncheon, said Ray Smithee, the church’s music director and organist. Nor will there be the usual kilt election between two church members to determine who will receive a kilt featuring a tartan representing the winner’s Scottish heritage.
“We’re basically doing the worship service, with a scaled-down processional this year, all in an effort to be safe,” Smithee said.
The guest preacher will be the Rev. Albert Bisson, originally from the United Kingdom. He teaches religion courses through Mississippi State University’s Department of Philosophy and Religion.
Bisson will speak at 9:45 a.m. in the church’s Schuler Hall and during the 11 a.m. Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans service in the sanctuary.
The celebration will also be streamed online.
“Kirk” is the Scottish word for “church,” and tartans, which have distinctive plaid patterns, are used to represent specific Scottish clans, regions or regiments.
Each year, the Kirkin’ committee selects a First Presbyterian family to honor at the Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans event, Crump said.
This year, the church will honor the family of Toni and John Heston Powers Sr. of Greenwood.
“They have been a very active family within our church, and we just wanted to honor them,” Crump said, adding “that it’s always fun to read those genealogy stories of our families within our church.”
Next year, Crump said, he hopes the Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans can be “back to its full steam.”
Still, he said, this year’s event should be typically memorable.
“It’s not too often that you get 50 men to wear kilts at a church,” Crump said. “It’s always a fun event to see all the different tartan and kilt outfits everyone has come up with.”
•Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
