Of Two Clans

[Silmakhor]

Perhaps my dear wife's example would be considered more traditional? My wife before she married her first husband wore her father's Clan tartan and no other. When in due course she married she then wore her husband's tartan and no other. After his untimely death, she continued to wear his tartan, until she (thank goodness) married me and now, purely voluntarily I may add, she wears my tartan and no other. Her children from the first marriage, when old enough, were offered the choice of their father's tartan, or mine. Quite correctly in my view, they decided to wear their late father's tartan.

Some of you may be interested that both my wife and me have several different Clan tartans that we could wear, through family connections, if we so choose. In fact, my family for several generations choose to wear just one. We are not alone in Scotland in doing so and I would suggest, that is traditional thinking here.

(emphasis mine)


I think this gets back to the whole "strong affiliation" thing. Neither of my parents ever wore kilts, and as far as I know none of my ancestors have. My surname is found on the sept lists of a certain large and "sinister" clan associated with soup cans and Argyll. So, by the advice of the board here, I'd choose Campbell. But the patrilineal ancestors were likely Ulster scots, having little to do with Highland culture. I'd love to wear "the" family tartan, but such a thing doesn't exist in reality.

If people in my family had worn a particular tartan, and I had an emotional connection to them, I'd of course honor that. I envy those who partake in a living tradition.