| There is great debate on the origin of the word | | | | permitted, there developed a keen interest in |
| "tartan." It could have come from the Irish "tarsna", | | | | reestablishing or reinventing family tartans, beginning |
| which meant crosswise, or the Scottish Gaelic | | | | with the Highlanders and later spreading to all of |
| "tarsuinn", meaning across. Or it could simply mean | | | | Scotland. |
| cloth, from the old French "tartaine". | | | | King George IV and Queen Victoria both fell in love |
| What we know is, long before there were individual | | | | with the Highlander image as popularized by Sir |
| Scottish clans and tartans, the Celts loved bright | | | | Walter Scott, and greatly encouraged the adoption |
| colors and patterned cloth. Later the Scots | | | | of this cultural symbol. Today, there are around 2800 |
| incorporated this love for color into a unique plaid | | | | tartans listed in the Scottish Heritage World Register |
| cloth. Only in recent history have particular patterns | | | | - including ones for football clubs, individual towns, |
| been associated with particular districts, army | | | | clans, and military regiments. |
| regiments, and, of course, Scottish clans. | | | | Sometimes, when we discover that Scottish tartans |
| Prior to around 1700, there is no historical reason to | | | | are not ancient, it "takes the shine off" our interest. |
| associate particular patterns with particular people or | | | | In this case, it really shouldn't. The wearing of the |
| places, but it is clear that plaid cloth was made and | | | | tartan and linking the patterns (called setts) to |
| worn throughout the Highlands and had been for | | | | particular families has done so much to unite Scottish |
| hundreds of years. | | | | culture world-wide and to reestablish our connections |
| By 1746, clan tartans were so closely associated with | | | | with our ancestors and with our fellow "Scots of the |
| Highlanders and clan loyalty that their wearing was | | | | diaspora." |
| banned by the English after the Scots' defeat at | | | | It is good to care about the past and to connect |
| Culloden until 1782. Interestingly, this was the time | | | | with our cultural roots and traditions. And there is no |
| when many of the famous Highland Regiments were | | | | doubt at all that the Highlanders invented these |
| being formed, and they were allowed to select and | | | | wonderful plaids. Find your tartan and wear it with |
| wear a regimental tartan (for example, Black Watch). | | | | pride! |
| The idea may have been to wean loyalty away from | | | | April 6 is National Tartan Day in the United States - a |
| the clan and towards the British empire. Some of | | | | perfect opportunity to show off your Scottish |
| these regimental tartans later became family tartans. | | | | heritage. |
| When the wearing of the tartan was again | | | | |