Celtic Day is, without question, the most favoured day on the school calendar at the Boys’ School – a day when the entire timetable is suspended in favour of activities arranged around a Scottish theme, with both fun and learning in mind. It’s a day swathed in House colours, flashes of tartan, streaks of face paint and bright with smiles!

So how lucky were the boys, for the first time ever, to experience the ‘best day of the year’ twice within five months! When the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 curtailed plans for last April’s Celtic Day, Principal. Mr Peter Cassie made a pledge to the boys that the day would be postponed rather than cancelled - and so in late November last year, it finally went ahead. Back on April schedule this year, Celtic Day 2021 got underway in a blaze of glory!

With the twenty clans lined up on the field, five for each House, the tartan-clad Kapa Haka group, led by Frankie Fitness laid down the challenge, their voices carrying far across the field, signalling the moment for the Pipes and Drums to begin the parade. Head of Pipes and Drums at the College, Andrew Lightfoot, along with Old Collegians, James Milner and Chris Townsend, and the College Pipes and Drums, led off with our own Boys’ School Pipe Band in the mix.

With half the field enclosed with hoardings, whilst major construction takes place, the march this year was re-routed out through Gate 1 and back through Gate 2 to regroup on the field, with the formalities taking place in the open air for the first time ever, to allow the many parents present to join in.

‘Sit ye doon!’bellowed Mr Cassie with his best Scottish lilt!

A day for Saint Kentigern to reflect on our Scottish roots, Mr Cassie told the boys that Scots have achieved many great things, including the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming, the steam engine by James Watt, the pneumatic tyre by John Boyd Dunlop and the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell.

Mr Cassie went on to say, ‘Today our boys will experience a day of great fun, intense competition and healthy rivalry. Each activity is designed to test and challenge individuals, while uniting the clan as a team in their quest to become the top clan and ultimately be crowned the 2021 House Clan Celtic Day Champions. What will make the Champion? The clan who show commitment and teamwork, have buddies that stay together and support each other, who are on time to their next activity and who live our values - and that these values are readily seen throughout the day.’ He said their job for the day was ‘to make the people around you happy.’

As is tradition, Head Boy, Sebe Poole was called on to ‘address the haggis.’ Sebe joined a long line of Head Boys who have taken on the task of learning and reciting Robert Burns’ ‘Ode to a Haggis’ in Gaelic – delivering the fiendishly difficult soliloquy with practised ease!

And so to the business end of the day, as far as the boys were concerned! After the traditional tasting of the haggis, the boys set off to enjoy their day out on the field in riotous action, interspersed with quiet interludes inside for craft and cooking activities. This is day for our oldest students to show leadership and provide care for their junior clan members, knowing what fun lies in store!

From welly wanging to cooking porridge, hip hop dancing, zorbs on the pool, taking quiet time out for craft activities, and discovering ‘the bits’ that make up a haggis, there was much to enjoy. But nothing quite captures the imagination like the castle siege on Roselle Lawn, as the boys set about with wet sponges to attack the cardboard ramparts created by staff and parents. As the day wore on, Roselle Lawn wore out, so those taking on the challenge later in the day found themselves wallowing in mud – including the stoic parents on duty!

This year’s Celtic Day certainly lived up to its reputation, providing tradition, formalities, humour and a great deal of fun! By the time the 3 o’clock bell came, the boys were tired, the staff were tired and the parents were tired but all concurred that Celtic Day is ‘the best!’ What a shame they’ll have to wait a whole year this time until it comes around again!

Celtic Day can be quite an eye-opener for the uninitiated, especially the parents who offer up their services for the first time! As always, we must thank our Parents and Friends Association who did a fantastic job in providing support on the day, from preparing shortbread for the guests’ morning tea, offering haggis to the boys, to being at the forefront of the games on the field and in the pool. Our sincere thanks to a wonderful group parents, especially those who took on the wet and muddy Castle Siege! Celtic Day could not happen without your enormous contribution! Thank you!

Tags

• Celtic Day

Share this