Tartan Week 25th Anniversary: Which Scot will be in NYC and what tartan should you wear?

The annual celebration of Scottish heritage will reach its 25th anniversary in New York City this year, but if you’re ‘kilt-y’ of charge of not knowing about Tartan Week then here’s what you should know.

In past years, Scotland has been represented by the likes of Karen Gillan and Sir Billy Connolly at the Tartan Day Parade in New York City.

Every year in New York City, Tartan Week brings thousands of people together from Scotland and the US to celebrate Scottish culture as one. As the UK Government said: “Marking its 25th anniversary this year, Tartan Week is an annual celebration of Scottish heritage in the Big Apple.

"It celebrates the deep cultural ties between Scotland and the United States, and features a bagpipe parade through the streets of Manhattan.”

The week-long event sees “over 3,000 bagpipers, Highland dancers, clan organisations, Scottish dog breeds, and more, proudly marching up Sixth Avenue” as well as “the best Scottish and Scottish-American artists” according to the NYC Tartan Week website.

Here’s when the Tartan Day parade falls, who will be going, and how to know which tartan you should wear.

When is the Tartan Day Parade 2023?

In 2023, the annual New York Tartan Day Parade falls on Saturday, April 15, at 2pm. It kicks off on 45th Street before moving up to 6th Avenue and then 55th Street.

What is Tartan Week?

Sir Sean Connery, who passed away in 2020, was one of many honoured guests at Tartan Day celebrations in the United States.

Tartan Day falls on April 6 and commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. The document was written while Scotland fought a bitter war of independence against England after King Edward tried to conquer the land in 1296.

Many suspect that this pivotal document inspired the American Declaration of Independence. That’s why this date was chosen for Tartan Day which exists to ‘to recognise the outstanding achievements and contributions of Scottish Americans to the United States’ according to the American Scottish Foundation.

Tartan Week is a continuation, and since the US houses around six million people with Scottish ancestry, the NYC event is as popular as St. Patrick’s Day some years.

Following generations of oppression under British rule, thousands of Scottish Gaels emigrated to North America even in the 1920s in what was called their peak of emigration as 363,000 left home in a single decade.

Every year, the Big Apple puts together the Tartan Day parade to celebrate Scottish culture and its impact on the United States of America.

How do I find my clan tartan?

To discover your tartan, you can use the Family Finder tool on the Clan website. All you need to do is enter your surname/clan into the search and explore the results. Many Scottish names have spelling variations but don’t worry, the website lists all possible spellings so you should have no trouble finding yours.

The Scottish Register of Tartans advises: “If there is no appropriate name tartan, look for a district tartan connected to the area where your ancestors lived.”

Who is the Grand Marshal of the Tartan Day Parade 2023?

In the last three years, the Big Apple has enjoyed the likes of Brian Cox, Karen Gillan and Billy Connolly serving as Grand Marshals for the Tartan Day parade. In 2023, this honour falls to Gail Porter, the actress and model born in Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh.

She is best known for starring in shows like ‘Fully Booked’, ‘Dead Famous’ and ‘The Movie Chart Show’. The TV personality has also supported charities like Children in Need and the Samaritans.

What’s more, her first name ‘Gail’ is serendipitously reminiscent of the term ‘Gael’ which relates to Gaelic-speaking Celts of Scotland. An apt choice given the occasion.