Robert Burns Day at the ROM

Celebrate the 250th birthday of Scotland’s national poet with food, music, and dance

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) celebrates the 250th birthday of Robert Burns with Robert Burns Day on Sunday January 25, 2009. The afternoon, commemorating Robert Burns (1759-1796), Scotland’s national poet, features traditional Scottish dance, poetry readings, and music performed live on period-style instruments. Robert Burns Day takes place from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm in the ROM’s Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre. Admission to this special event is below.

This first ever ROM event offers all the trimmings. Publisher Douglas Gibson will open the afternoon with a reading from his recent book, A Night Out with Robert Burns: The Greatest Poems (McClelland and Stewart, 2009). In addition to songs, reels, jigs and airs from the R.S. Williams Collection held in Rare Book Collections of the Museum’s Library, participants can also enjoy a special ceremonial arrival of the haggis – and eat some too – when Reverend Sinclair, senior minister at Toronto’s Metropolitan United Church, reads Robert Burns’ Address to a Haggis. Scot or not, participants are encouraged to dress in traditional Scottish garb for a chance to win a prize.

Tickets to this event are $40 ($37 online) for ROM members and $45 ($42 online) for the general public. To purchase tickets visit www.rom.on.ca/programs and click on the What’s On Calendar, or call 416.586.5797. Participants registered before January 20, 2009 will receive a Scottish Quotient Certificate acknowledging their attendance at this first ever ROM event.

Other Upcoming ROM Events

ROM Winter Weekends: Every Saturday and Sunday until February 8, 2009, one child (aged 4-14) is admitted free with each regular paying adult, senior or student. In addition to regular ROMkids Weekend programming, including dinosaur digs and other hands-on fun, visitors have the chance to explore the new Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures, featuring the largest lunar meteorite to ever go on public display and amazing gems and minerals from around the world.

Natural Wonders of Australia’s Northern Territory:

Saturday, January 17, 2:00 pm; included with admission

Join Atticus Fleming, Chief Executive of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy for an illustrated lecture. Offered in cooperation with Australia’s Northern Territory.

Chinese New Year Celebrations:

Sunday, January 18; included with admission

Bring in Chinese New Year with music, dance and martial arts demonstrations.

ROM Seniors’ Wednesdays:

Every Wednesday meet in the lobby at 10:00 am, followed by free coffee/tea at 10:30 am in Food Studio with ROM facilitators, a tour of the ROM, and a lecture (see below) or film.

January 28, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. Krzystof Ciuk speaks about the exhibition Mysteries of Ancient Ukraine: The Remarkable Trypalian Culture (5400 – 2700 BC).

February 21, 11:00 am – 12:00pm. Vincent Vertoli speaks about the new Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures

Inuit Invasion (2007)

Monday, February 9, 7:00-9:30 pm; FREE

A vivid documentary chronicling the extinction of the Dorset people of the high arctic by the newly arriving Thule Inuit 1,000 years ago. Film is followed with a lecture by Canadian anthropologist Niobe Thompson and film director Tom Radford.

For a full list of all the ROM’s offerings, visit www.rom.on.ca/programs.