My Cardinal (the bird) Moment

Since childhood I have marveled that male birds are so colorful and bright but the females are typically plain, even dull.  Take cardinals, for example.  While growing up (and even now), glimpses of that bright red bird thrilled me.  I would sit and watch it until it finally flew away.  As a kid, I couldn’t believe female cardinals were just sort of basic brown.  Very different from humans, I always thought, whose females tend to sport the brighter plumage.  Yesterday evening the cardinal watching was fantastic at the Washington D.C. St. Andrew’s Society Burns Supper we attended.  And what’s more, I got to play cardinal, too.

The male of the species in his bright plumage.

There is no more accessorized garment than a kilt, a colorful eye catching garment even without its accessories.  At the event, we saw many different tartans with reds, greens, yellows, blues, whites and blacks, each arranged in an almost endless pattern of horizontal and vertical stripes.  Add a formal white shirt and bow tie, always notable, overlay that with a bright buttoned waistcoat (vest) and the final layer over all, the formal Scottish Highland evening jacket called a Prince Charlie, also festooned with bright, silver buttons on the sleeves, lapels and tail, and the kilted cardinal begins to take shape.  Then tie on a sporran, the leather or fur front pouch, fasten the colorful flash (garter) that holds up the long stockings we kiltwearers pull up to just below our knees, add a kilt pin and a knife peeking out from the top of the sock, and you end up with one dapper, notice takin’* male.

Don’t get me wrong: the women at the event were lovely in their generally darker toned evening gowns, many with a tartan scarf or sash.  The main spectacle, however, was the gents, some even flashier with military medals on their jackets or on a ribbon around their necks, and with silver or gold lapel pins.

The male of the species with his female.

The supper was fun though a little different than our smaller scale, more informal event last weekend.  This event included the essential elements of a Burns Supper: a haggis procession and address, a speech and toast to the immortal memory of Robert Burns, and at least one Burns poem.  This event also included the solemn, pipe accompanied presentation of the colors, a toast to the Queen (after the toast to the President; at our supper we only toasted the President), plus a bagpipe band and a Scottish dancing performance.  Both we and the St. Andrew’s Society concluded our respective evenings singing Auld Lang Syne.  My mate and I enjoyed the colorful event though we missed the group participation of our Burns supper.  I would have liked hearing a few more poems, too.

I must be honest and say I enjoyed my cardinal moment.  What a lark to put on the plumage and strut with like-feathered birds!  I like the whole Burns Supper season, what I call Burns-tide.  How fun, how enriching to use a great poet and his works as an excuse to gather with friends and family in smaller, intimate settings or with a wider community in larger, formal ones.

*see To a Louse by Burns (the next post)

With other cardinals in the coat check line