As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own – Margaret Mead
Edinburgh is the only other place my husband and I have called home. The people are warm and hospitable with a rich culture that they are proud of. The city is picturesque and historic, surrounded by draw-dropping views and intricate architecture. The Scottish culture permeates the city, yet there is a modern, cosmopolitan feel.
Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar
Disney/Pixar will release Brave in theaters nationwide on June 22nd, and having seen the first 30 minutes in San Francisco last month, I can tell you that the filmmakers authentically depicted the Scottish culture throughout the film. In fact, throughout the press day, we participated in a variety of interactive activities to bring us up to speed on Scottish culture. During my time in Edinburgh, I wondered if I would still see men wearing kilts in our modern era. The answer? Yes!
So what exactly is a kilt? It’s a knee-length garment made of woollen cloth in a Tartan pattern (Wikipedia). While it you might think it resembles a skirt, women aren’t allowed to wear one for various reasons, including the fact that men don’t wear anything underneath (don’t think too much about that fact!).
There is an entire ritual dedicated to the proper wearing of the kilt, and Crystal from Simply Being Mommy details it precisely in her post, Kilt Wearing 101. Each family/clan wears the same tartan pattern and some can be traced back for one or even two centuries. You’ll see this replicated in Brave, which is another fact that brings authenticity to the film.
Along with this thick, heavy, layered garment comes the accessories, which include woollen socks, a sporran (a type of pouch used to store important items), a belt, a jacket, and a pair of Ghillie brogues (a type of low-heeled shoe).
As I mentioned earlier, the Scots are proud of their culture and still maintain traditions such as kilt-wearing. Disney/Pixar just released this incredibly funny trailer, inspired by the Scottish Kilt!
Stay tuned for more tidbits on Scottish culture as we anticipate the opening of Brave!
No compensation was received for this post.
Travel expenses associated with the event were provided by Disney.
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OK, I can’t STOP thinking about it…lol!
Great post!!! My daughter can’t wait to see Brave!! Loved reading about the kilt!
This is so funny – we were just talking about kilts – my son wants one – LOL! I’m sure this movie will encourage it even more. Can’t wait to check it out!
hahaha. feast yer eyes!!
my family has a tartan. stuart. somewhere along the way, the child sized one we had vanished. it breaks my heart. a piece of our heritage is gone!
Wait…WHAT?! THEY DON’T?! I….can’t even…
I just have to say for the record that my husband and his groomsmen wanted to wear kilts at our wedding and I cut them down with a bagpipe. Ain’t nobody upstaging the bride with a bunch of cajones flying free.
But isn’t Scotland a bit cold for large parts of the year? And cold for certain parts?
Hmmm, kinda digging the Ghillie brogues, wonder if they come in size 13 for my husband’s big feet! 🙂
I love than a woman is the heroin of a Disney movie!