Quote Originally Posted by McClef View Post
It's not their apparel that is the issue it is more about their refusal to eat the usual fare.

Even if one did not wear lederhosen at a beer festival would one drink Coke?
Well, if they don't like beer but still want to attend to celebrate a cultural tradition with others, I wouldn't hold it against them. Beer isn't for everyone. And haggis, likewise, isn't for everyone.

Refusal to eat haggis isn't necessarily a cultural insult. Haggis has quite a reputation for being "not for everybody" in terms of flavor. If these guys weren't man enough to try something new, that's OK. It's their loss. This was specifically a celebration of Burns, not necessarily a celebration of haggis.

Do all Scots that attend these dinners eat haggis? I know Jock Scot, for one, has unequivocally stated that he does not care for it. Is he to be held to the same standards here? Or is it only an insult when an outsider refuses to eat it?

(Sorry, Jock, I didn't mean to drag you into it but you were the only example I could think of - and I only mention you with the utmost respect.)