Do you seek out kilt wearers at events...

[Cameron of Texas]

and engage them in conversation?

For example, You're at a Scottish heritage festival and you see a man kilted in a tartan you either don't recognize or perhaps you know the history/heritage behind the sett. Will these curiosities compel you to strike up a conversation with a stranger?

I've always wondered if there were people who attended heritage festivals who were so steeped in clan/highland history that they immediately recognized tartans, their history and relationships between neighboring tribes.

[Jock Scot]

and engage them in conversation?

For example, You're at a Scottish heritage festival and you see a man kilted in a tartan you either don't recognize or perhaps you know the history/heritage behind the sett. Will these curiosities compel you to strike up a conversation with a stranger?

I've always wondered if there were people who attended heritage festivals who were so steeped in clan/highland history that they immediately recognized tartans, their history and relationships between neighboring tribes.

What are heritage festivals? Would I talk to anyone wearing a tartan kilt? Not necessarily, and there is no particular reason why I should or shouldn't. I know quite a few tartans and I know a wee tad of their history for most of them, but talk to them? Well I might, it just depends. To be clear though, Clan issues would not be a consideration.

[Cameron of Texas]

What are heritage festivals?

They are pretty common in the states.

Themed festivals with a focus on the heritage of a certain slice of the population. For example, in north Texas there is a rich German heritage and many a farm town bearing a German name. There is a "Germanfest" about an hour drive from here every spring.

[Jock Scot]

Well alright, people are entitled to do what they do, within reason and it seems that the New World are rather keen on these sort of events. From where I am sat and with the greatest of respect, I cannot for the life of me understand it. Why not just celebrate being an American, Canadian, Australian, ----- Whoever? Yes of course celebrate your roots in passing, but there is a bigger picture, surely? Still, each to their own.

[ctbuchanan]

Perhaps to clarify - here in the States we tend to have three types of events where you would generally see gentlemen kilted: Scottish Highland Games, Scottish Festivals (which usually include highland games) or Celtic Festivals.
As you might assume the first two focus primarily on the Scottish arts, athletics and (here in the US) clan history (clan villages).
Celtic Festivals tend to lean more toward Celtic Music and often feature beers and ales from Ireland/Scotland. Some of these events recently have started to add clan tents.

I have to say that there are so many men wearing kilts at Scottish highland games and festivals that it would be nearly impossible to engage them all in conversation. I would certainly approach someone in a Buchanan kilt if I did not recognize them. But most often casual conversations would be started as they might be in any social event.

And while I do recognize some of the tartans, I don't have Peter MacDonald's eye for such things. So unless there was something compelling about a tartan or a a kilt I would not be inclined.

CTB

[Bad Monkey]

yes, there's a bigger picture.

And it's a whole lotta fun to visit a German Hofbrauhaus and quaff a few steins and wurst sammies while singing along to an OomPa band on a Saturday. Or head over to the Greek festival and down a plateful of falafel and sticky pastries while cursing the bouzouki players.
Tough to take the family to those places for most Americans, so we do festivals to tide us over.
Very very few Americans are First Nations and such, and a great many of us grew up knowing members of our families that "came over on the boat". The old world isn't very far away for most of us.
It seems like an worn out old saying, "my Grandfather gave me/taught me...", but here in the New World our Grandfathers really did knock us on the head and say "Remember, boy".
And so we do.

[ctbuchanan]

Well alright, people are entitled to do what they do, within reason and it seems that the New World are rather keen on these sort of events. From where I am sat and with the greatest of respect, I cannot for the life of me understand it. Why not just celebrate being an American, Canadian, Australian, ----- Whoever? Yes of course celebrate your roots in passing, but there is a bigger picture, surely? Still, each to their own.

Respectfully - you are right to some degree but my wife is Polish and we know that there is a vibrant Polish community in Scotland that has festivals and celebrations of their Polish heritage as there are Scottish/Polish social clubs.

Of course if your family has been in Scotland for hundreds (thousands) of years you wouldn't have an alternate heritage to celebrate. Here in the USA we literally all have one or more. So you will find festivals of all nationalities celebrating their 'roots'. Just as you find them in Australia, Canada etc.

CTB

[Jock Scot]

Respectfully - you are right to some degree but my wife is Polish and we know that there is a vibrant Polish community in Scotland that has festivals and celebrations of their Polish heritage as there are Scottish/Polish social clubs.

Of course if your family has been in Scotland for hundreds (thousands) of years you wouldn't have an alternate heritage to celebrate. Here in the USA we literally all have one or more. So you will find festivals of all nationalities celebrating their 'roots'. Just as you find them in Australia, Canada etc.

CTB

I have strong French roots that are fairly recent and long past, but I don't wander around in a wasp shirt, beret and a string of onions around my neck! I also have connections to England, Australia, Russia and Germany, whilst I do not forget my roots, I am British first(Scottish section).

[JohnnyO]

I guess for me it's a bit like other riders used to wave to me when I was on a motorbike. I'm still not sure why. To tell me they were on a motorbike ? To remind me I'm on a motorbike ? Got no idea.
So, whilst not being particularly anti social, I don't really get the point of wandering up to a total stranger whose only common denominator with me is that we both happen to be wearing the same item of clothing.
Got nothing against those who do, just not for me.

[Karl R]

Do you seek out kilt wearers at events... and engage them in conversation?

Well, I'm generally a fairly sociable individual, so I enjoy chatting with people. And a kilt makes a good conversation starter (whether I'm wearing it, or the other person is). So I'd be more likely to strike up a conversation with (another) kilt wearer, rather than just some other random person.

Will these curiosities compel you to strike up a conversation with a stranger?

No. While I'm comfortable chatting with a random stranger at a heritage event (or elsewhere), I wouldn't expect the person to know the history behind the kilt they were wearing ... or even to necessarily be able to accurately identify the tartan they're wearing (depending on the festival).

I've always wondered if there were people who attended heritage festivals who were so steeped in clan/highland history that they immediately recognized tartans, their history and relationships between neighboring tribes.

I'm sure people with that historical knowledge exist. And I'm also sure that some of them attend heritage festivals. But I also expect that people with that depth of knowledge are few and far between, even at a heritage festival.