27 July - Bagpipe Appreciation Day

 

Bagpipe Appreciation Day is an annual holiday celebrated on July 27. This day celebrates an ancient musical instrument known as the bagpipe. These musical instruments date back thousands of years and have become a part of the Scottish tradition. They have been used during battles, funerals, parades, weddings, and royal occasions.

Although bagpipes are central to Scottish identity, like kilts, haggis, and whiskey, bagpipes did not originate from Scotland. Bagpipes have an ancient history that traces back to Mesopotamia, a region in the Middle East, where shepherds were said to play them for leisure. There are speculations the pipes were in ancient Egypt, but no supporting evidence can prove this fact.

A Hittite wall carving from around 1000 B.C. displays a bagpipe and suggests that bagpipes were used in western Asia too. The Hittites traded with Egypt so the instrument could have been passed on to them from the Egyptians. That leaves the Egyptians and the Hittites as the two possible inventors of the bagpipe.

The instruments were later introduced to the Greeks who adopted them from the Romans when they conquered Greece. The Roman Emperor Nero was fond of playing the bagpipe. The English admired the instrument greatly and so they, too, adopted them. The bagpipes became popular in Britain after the Roman invasion in the 5th century. The instruments became more popular in England than in any other part of the world.

Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Lancashire produced noteworthy pipers, and areas such as Cornwall, Northumberland, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire made their own types of bagpipes. The first reference to the Scottish Highland bagpipes is from French history that mentions their use at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. By the 18th century, they had become an icon of Scottish national identity. The military began using the instrument and accompanied it with drums. Bagpipes were for communication during battles to signal movements, attacks, and retreats. They were also played before a battle to inspire the army.

When the Scottish uprising of 1745 failed, military training was banned, and bagpipes were no longer used for war. However, they were kept for other uses. There are many types of bagpipes today. The most popular bagpipe is Scotland’s Great Highland bagpipe. On Bagpipe Appreciation Day, we celebrate all variations of bagpipes and their contribution to culture and music.