(1888PressRelease)
March 14, 2007 - The state of Maine will present its first annual National Tartan Day celebration on April 6, 2007, on the steps of the Maine state Capitol Building in Augusta.
Sponsored by the National Scottish Coalition and
MaineScot, this observance of Tartan Day marks the first of a series of events designed to promote the historical and cultural significance of the Scots' contribution to the United States.
“We've organized Tartan Day events in the past, but this will be the first one that has been fully sanctioned by the National Scottish Coalition”, states Dianne Bergstedt Boyd, Maine Tartan Day Coordinator and Director of MaineScot. “I'm very pleased to be working with the umbrella organization that fosters the development of on-going Scottish cultural and educational programs.”
In addition to the Reading of the National Tartan Day Proclamation by Governor John Baldacci, the day's events will include comments by Maine legislators, massed bands, a Parade of Clans, and a presentation to Governor Baldacci by John T. Mann, Chair of the Maine Ulster-Scots Project and
author of the book “Ulster-Scots on the Coast of Maine, Volume 1.”
This event is also a platform to continue the efforts of the National Scottish Coalition to place Tartan Day on the national calendar. “When I look at a calendar, I want to see my heritage and culture represented in a day of recognition. The Scottish influence on the development of the United States is apparent in our government, arts and sciences, even in our language”, states Ms. Boyd. “These contributions need to be recognized, and we need to formally recognize them every year”.
For more information,
visit the web site of Maine Tartan Day
at www.mainetartanday.com
or email Dianne Bergstedt Boyd, FSA Scot,
at dianne ( @ ) mainescot dot com.
