Two terrific area events are coming up that give us unique opportunities to celebrate our Celtic heritage.
 
Hogmanay
First, the St. Andrew Society's annual Hogmanay celebration on Auld Year's Night will send off 2008 in fine style.
The beginnings of Hogmanay may go all the way back to the ancient Norse celebration of the winter solstice and the old Celtic New Year's celebration of Samhain. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which led to the 12 Days of Christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they were sometimes called in Scotland. This wintertime festival was forced underground with the Protestant Reformation, but it re-emerged near the end of the 17th century.

This year, the St. Andrew Society will celebrate with lots of good food, good company and good music. If you're interested in attending, click the "To join" button and send us an e-mail.

Winter Storm 2009

Believe it or not, the piping and drumming world turns its attention to Kansas City for a weekend each January, and this year, the Midwest Highland Arts Fund's Winter Storm will be held January 16-18 at the Mariott on the Country Club Plaza, 45th and Main, Kansas City.


Friday features sanctioned piping and drumming competition with pipers from across the US, UK, Canada and even New Zealand. If you're interested in sitting in and listening to the competitors, tickets can be purchased by visiting MHAF's website (www.mhaf.org).

Saturday will include all-day workshops for pipers and drummers of all levels, from novices on the chanter to Grade 1 players, for a very reasonable enrollment fee. Workshops will continue Sunday morning.


The highlight of Winter Storm, however, is the concert and ceilidh Saturday night at Kansas City's Community Christian Church, 46th and Main. This Frank Lloyd Wright-designed church is an acoustic marvel and the perfect venue to hear many of the world's best Highland musicians who have gathered to compete and adjudicate the competition. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mhaf.org.

The concert is followed by Winter Steam, a ceilidh of monumental proportion, sponsored by Newcastle Brown Ale. There are plenty of prizes that will be given away, and once a few pints have been downed, the pipes and drums come out for some of the most amazing jam sessions you'll ever hear.


This is a rare opportunity to hear the pipes and drums played live by musicians like Fred Morrison, Stuart Liddel, Chris Armstrong, Haggis MacLeod, Emily MacLeod, Big Johnny Rowe and the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. I went last year and was already looking forward to the 2009 edition as soon as I checked out of the hotel.