January the 25th is a night for hoots and hollers. In other words it’s Robert Burns night and it is a night for celebration for Scots all over the world. The anniversary of Robbie’s birth is a traditional affair with a piper piping the Haggis, a speaker giving a toast to the immortal memory of the great man not to mention toasts to the lassies and votes of thanks to the entertainers and to the Chair amongst others. It’s probably fair to say that lots of whisky is consumed on the night and certainly it’s a night when Scots celebrate their hero long into the night. Nobody liked such a celebration more than Robbie and although he is long since gone he is undoubtedly with his fellow countrymen in spirit on the night.

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What’s the difference between ladies and lassies? That’s the question speakers ask themselves when they are writing their toast for Burns night. The answer is not much because the lassies are obviously as charming, as witty and as worthy of admiration as the ladies. They complement their menfolk just as the ladies do and they are a wonderful addition to any party or gathering. However on Burns night the toast should refer to the Bard in some way even if it is only to admit that the speaker is less poetic than Robbie. Very few speakers could, in fact, praise the lassies as the Bard would do. What the speaker can do, though, is to admit that without the lassies Burns Night would be less glamorous, less exciting and that it would be, in fact, very dull. So if you are a speaker whose job it is to praise those lassies do so with enthusiasm. They deserve nothing less.

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It all depends on what sex you are. If you are a lassie responding to the toast to the lassies obviously you will need to be modest while agreeing with the sentiments of the toast. You can say that you appreciate the kind things the speaker has said and mention your own respect for the laddies. You can say that the lassies are delighted that their menfolk are present on the occasion. If, however, you are a man responding on behalf of the lassies you can heartily endorse what the speaker has said. That is you can agree that the ladies are really marvellous. You can say that they are deeply gratified by the kind things the proposer of the toast has said. You caner speak of how the fact that there are lassies present adds to the enjoyment of Burns night. Much depends of course on what the speaker has proposed in his toast to the lassies. If his toast is short and sincere the reply should be in kind. If, however, he has given a humorous toast the reply can afford to be witty and entertaining too. Either way the reply to the toast to the lassies is just part of an overall great Burns Night out.

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It’s time to toast the lassies. Robert Burns’ night is the ideal opportunity to tell the lassies how wonderful they are. It’s a time when a gentleman has the opportunity to speak of their charm, their personalities and what they mean to the laddies. It’s a chance to speak convincingly of what they add to society and wittingly of those differences between men and women. Not many men, of course, have the ability of The Bard to write love songs or poems of praise. Nonetheless all men are born of women and all have lassies in their lives in some form or another. So they can speak from experience when they say that the lassies are beautiful, talented and each one unique. So make the most of the moment and toast the lassies as they deserve to be toasted with eloquence that might have been borrowed from Robert Burns himself.

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Robbie Burns is rather like Santa Claus because, once a year, he too gives us cause for celebration. On his birthday in January Scots all around the world gather to eat haggis, drink Scotch whisky and toast the bard. What they say in that toast may not be understood by others because many of those toasting the poet use a dialect that is totally different to Queen’s English. The toast, though, will speak of the life of the Bard and what he has meant to Scots and Scotland over the years. His works are renowned worldwide and his songs and poems have covered every conceivable subject. He loved women and they, it seemed loved him. Certainly his song “My luv is like a red red rose” is probably one of the most haunting love songs ever written. On New Year’s Eve he will be remembered as people gather, join hands and sing “Should auld acquaintance be forgot.” Whatever about that as long as his works are read, his songs sung, Robert Burns himself will always be remembered.

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New Year’s Eve is a time for parties and promises. In fact if we all kept our New Year resolutions we’d all be thinner and healthier. Nobody would smoke and alcohol sales would fall dramatically. Most of us don’t, however, keep our resolutions. Maybe it’s because they demand such an effort. Perhaps it would be easier to keep them if we made ourselves easier pledges. Maybe we could promise ourselves that, when driving, we would give way to another vehicle at least once a day. We could promise ourselves that we would smile at those people we meet regularly at a bus stop or at the station. Neither of these things takes much effort but can be very rewarding. You might get into the habit of being a courteous driver and, who knows, you might make a new friend at that bus stop. New Year’s Eve is a time for gatherings with families and friends. Maybe you could speak at that New Year’s party and encourage others to look back at their memories of 2011 and look forward to doing something positive in 2012.

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Everyone doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Many people in the United States consider Kwanzaa to be their special celebration although they can, if they wish celebrate both. In fact in some homes there is a place for Christmas trees and kinaras. This is a time when African Americans get back in touch with their own their own traditions. In fact it is a celebration of family, community and culture. Officially the holiday reflects the best of African thought and practise. In a social gathering, though, a speech or toast to the holiday should be less formal while still touching on the real meaning of the occasion. It should stress togetherness and the principles that are important to African Americans. Above all it should reflect on the fact that African Americans while being true American also have something unique of their very own to celebrate.

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Clubs and associations have them, Christmas parties that is. Whether it’s a sports club or a chess club doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a sit down meal, a barbeque on the beach or a buffet supper doesn’t matter either. It’s a time for enjoyment with people who share your interests or concerns and it’s also time for someone to give a few words. As it’s a social occasion the speech should be very short and light-hearted as befits the season and the gathering. It should express the feeling that you are all in this together, whatever this happens to be. It should mention achievement and speak of future challenges and it should end with an appropriate toast to the season.

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Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year. Whether it’s because of all that shopping, the extra cooking or the office party lots of people feel overstretched. Financially too it can be a burden for some and then the stress simply mounts up. The question is how do you handle stress? What changes do your make to your life to ensure that you don’t get frazzled. At Christmas it could simply be a case of doing your shopping online. In that way you could avoid the crowded shops, the difficulty parking and the queues for the checkouts. Alternatively, you could simply give your recipients prize bonds or lottery ticket that supports a good cause. You could tell everyone that you are not giving gifts but sending the money to open a hospital in Africa or an orphanage in India. As regards the cooking swap wrapping Christmas gifts with someone who actually likes cooking but hates wrapping. If they need more persuasion offer to send their cards for them or to plant flowers for the spring. Everyone has a favourite chore and one they hate so don’t be a martyr slaving in the kitchen if you don’t have to. Don’t go to the office party if you hate it. Simply say that you will be out of town or offer to babysit for someone who loves to party. So just think about it and keep calm and reduce stress. You might even enjoy the holiday season!

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Black Friday is becoming, quite literally a really black day for retail employees. They are not getting a chance to finish celebrating Thanksgiving because so many stories are opening from midnight on Thanksgiving or earlier. It’s time to get the Christmas shopping season off to a start but will a few hours really make that much difference to retail sales? When bosses are giving their Christmas office party speeches will they mention the fact that employees had to leave the Thanksgiving table to mann the tills in many sales outlets? You can bet they won’t. All that seems to matter is to make those tills ring and that has nothing at all to do with the church bells that ring out to spread the real Christmas message of love and peace.

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