"Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of this country. However not until 1997 was this influence recognized by a single-year U.S. Senate Resolution that appeared in the Congressional Record of April 7, 1997. In 1998 National Tartan Day was officially recognized on a permanent basis when the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by companion bill House Resolution 41 which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005. The passage of this bill was due to the work of the National Capital Tartan Committee, Inc., and president James Morrison.

That date commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland's sovereignty over English territorial claims, and which was an influence on the American Declaration of Independence.

Canada has been celebrating "National Tartan Day" since 1993. The idea and motivation for creating a similar American holiday was provided by the Scottish Coalition, a group of nataional Scottish-American cultural organizations."

- Text taken from the National Tartan Day website (www.tartanday.org)

The Senate and House Resolutions were followed on April 4, 2008 by a Presidential Proclamation reiterating April 6th as National Tartan Day.

 

Thanks to the pioneering vision of Bill Ritchie and the collaborative
efforts of the Scottish Heritage Society of the Rochester Area, Inc.,
Rochester has a Tartan Day Celebration of its own!

 

2011 marks the fourth year of this outstanding event,
and we invite you to come be a part of it!