St. Andrews Presbyterian Church

We’ll be gathering in the Glen at 10:30 THIS SUNDAY, July 18, for the annual St. Andrews’  Kirkin’ O the Tartans.  You are invited, along with your family and friends, to join us! 

What is a Kirkin of the Tartans?
The word Kirk means Church and the Tartan has served as a symbol of one’s family, or in Scottish lingo, one’s clan.  Even as we keep the traditional title, we could also call this service a Blessing of the Families.

Who Can Participate in a Kirkin?
EVERYONE!! While it has its origins in the history of Scottish Presbyterians, our Kirkin’ is a Christian worship service open to all. It is a time we celebrate God’s gift of family. Families in our congregation hail from countries around the globe, and we celebrate the ways God unites us as Christians from a variety of church traditions.  While Presbyterians continue to celebrate our church’s Scottish heritage, the majority of Presbyterian families now do not claim Scottish ancestry.  We can find Kirkin’ services celebrated in churches and at festivals and Highland games around the country.

What Do I Bring to a Kirkin?
If possible, please bring a small piece of fabric to represent your family.  Some people may indeed bring a tartan.  Other families have brought a special tie or quilt, a grandfather’s handkerchief, a grandmother’s crocheted linen.  My family will bring a flannel baby blanket that was shared by both our children.  What “tartan” might represent your family this Sunday?  If you’re not sure, or if you forget one, we will have small tartan pieces available at the service.

What Will I Do at the Kirkin?
When you arrive, you will be asked to add your family name (or names) to a list, which will be read during the service.  When your family name(s) is called, you are invited to bring your “tartan” forward to the table for a blessing.  We ask God’s blessing not on the tartan itself, but on the generations of family it represents.  We give thanks for the ways God nurtures us through family.

What is the History of the Kirkin?
According to a blend of history and legend, the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan has its origins in the 18th century.  After Scottish patriots were defeated in the battle of Culloden in 1745, the British Parliament passed the Parliamentary Act of 1746 which banned the kilt and every other tartan garment in an effort to destroy Highland Clan identity.  Not easily deterred, defiant Scots secretly carried remnants of their tartans to church.  The ministers would then add a blessing into the service for the tartans and the clans they represented.  In Washington DC, this service has been held in the National Cathedral for many years.  However the annual service began a decade earlier.  In 1941, as the war in Europe was escalating, former Saint Andrew’s Society president, Dr. Peter Marshall, who served as the chaplain for the Senate, initiated the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan in this country.  For the first 9 years the service was held at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.  In 1950 the service began to be held in various Presbyterians churches in Washington DC and in 1954 was moved to the Cathedral where the service has been held ever since.   For a more complete history, I urge you to visit www.scottishtartans.org/kirkin.htm.