BELFAST — It was the 255^th anniversary of the birth and spirit of Scottish poet Robert Burns, a life synonymous with drink (whiskey is considered the water of life by the Scots), poetry and Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish celebrated by Burns in his poem, Address to a Haggis. The Maine Celtic Celebration held a Burns night Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Waldo County Shrine Club in Belfast to celebrate the poet and host an Irish ceilidh, pronounced ce-li, which is a celebration filled with music and dance meant to relieve cabin fever. Despite the cold, snowy weather, 85 people filled the club and a festive celebration ensued.

“It was the second authentic Burns supper for me,” said Claudia Luchetti, who takes care of publicity for the MCC. She said his was the third Burns supper that the organization had held. “I wasn’t involved in the first supper, and there was an event two years ago that was sort of a Burns supper, but it was more of a curling event. Everybody here has just been really great. The music is provided by Castleby who areJulia Laneand Fred Goosbee, out of Round Pond, and we couldn’t ask for better people to provide the music. This is a good crowd and we really couldn’t seat anybody else, so I’m very, very pleased with the turnout. I wish the place were bigger.”

Luchetti said the money raised tonight would go to help support the celebration that the MCC holds in the summer.

“The celebration happens the third weekend in July and it celebrates the Irish heritage of Belfast and the Midcoast,” she said. “We have musicians twho hat come in from Europe and from Nova Scotia, and of course a lot of local and New England folks who play Celtic inspired music.”

Nancy Falvey-Wry is on the board of directors for the MCC, said the Celtic Celebration in the summer is an all weekend event.

“We keep the Celtic aspect alive through things like this, she said. “Again this summer, we’ll have the Highland Heavy Games as part of the Celtic Celebration. Today is Robert Burns’ birthday and it’s a great excuse to come out and have a lot of fun. We are sold out, and the Scotch-tasting earlier was sold out, as well. We have a lot of great food. There will be the presentation of the Haggis and Robert Burns recitations. I think I might even try the Haggis. When in Rome you know, and all that.”

Traditional Highland Heavy Games go all the way back to the 11th Century. The same games under the same rules, will be played by a number of athletes.

Luchetti said there would also be a new-world cheese roll at the celebration this summer.

“The State of Maine Cheese Company generously donates five pound wheels of cheese,” she said. “People chase them down a hill on Belfast Common. It is quite hilarious. This will be our eighth summer and we’re talking about maybe trying to add some other groups from around Belfast.”

Luchetti said the Haggis served this evening came from the W.A. Bean Company in Bangor. They were producing Haggis authentically under a license from a Scottish manufacturer. The Address to a Haggis is the traditional Burns’ poem recited as the Haggis is piped in and presented by the cook. Whoever at one point is giving the address takes up a knife and splits the Haggis. It is considered to be the high point of the evening.

Traditional foods on the menu besides the Haggis included neeps and tatties (mashed potatoes and turnips), Cock-a-leekie soup thickened with barley and garnished with prunes, Guinness beef stew, hard cider chicken soup, Zuppa, beef stew, regular and vegetarian chili, French onion soup, tomato basil soup, biscuits, pumpkin corn bread, cheese and crackers.

The first Burns club was founded in 1801 by merchants, some of whom had known Burns. They held the first Burns supper on what they thought was his birthday, Jan. 29, 1802, but in 1803 they discovered that his date of birth was Jan. 25, 1759.Since then, suppers have been held Jan. 25.