Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival

In Victoria the beginning of summer is marked by the Victoria Day long weekend, a public holiday marking the birthday of Queen Victoria. While it's a public holiday throughout Canada, here in her namesake city it is perhaps more fervently celebrated than elsewhere. Traditionally here the long weekend is opened with the Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Many (if not most) of the city's founders were Scotsmen who came out to settle here and build fortunes and families so our Scottish roots run deep and many thousands of people turn out for this annual festival of all things Scottish. Queen Victoria herself had a long and intimate association with Scotland. The skirl of bagpipes is constantly heard from the many pipe bands that attend. There is a never ending parade of tartan-kilted lads and lassies leaping. And those that have gotten too heavy for leaping can join in the Highland sports, most of which consist of throwing heavy objects, including "Tossing the Caber", as can be seen in the video below. A caber is typically 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m) tall and weighs 175 pounds (79 kg). Some of the gentlemen partipating in the video below are world champions at various Highland sports, including tossing the caber. These are big men - most tipping the scale at around 300 pounds and averaging over 6 feet in height.

Tossing the Haggis

Here's some lads at the recent Highland Games engaged in the fine auld sport of Tossing the Haggis or the Haggis Hurl. The youngster above clearly believes that it's all in how you hold your mouth. Och aye the noo, it's a pleasure to see the young participating in the ancient rites of their race.

Highland Games 3

While the men are as heavy and ponderous as the weights they throw around (scroll down to see yesterday's post) the lassies are as light as gossamer and seem almost to float above the stage.

Highland Games 2

There is a brutal simplicity to the sports at the Highland Games that I admire. Basically the sports seem to consist of very large men in kilts throwing very heavy weights. Above and to the left are two examples but there are several others where the weights are differently shaped. Sometimes it is how far you can throw the weight horizontally (above photo) and other times it is how high you can throw it (left photo).

Highland Games

Every year all Victoria's Scots and would-be Scots hold a two day celebration of all things Scottish called the Highland Games. Usually, in anticipation of the big Victoria Day Parade here I forget to attend this event, so I made a special point of remembering it this year. It was good that I did since the parade on Monday was rained on and I decided to stay home. Saturday, however, was bright and sunny and I joined the tartaned crowds to watch the tossing of the Haggis and the many other events. The skirling of pipe bands accompanied the above competition, a judging of Drum Major skills. We'll have a look at some of the other activities later in the week.