Bringing haggis and bagpipes to Sea Cliff's St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

Poetry, bagpipes and haggis are coming to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church as Burns Night returns on Saturday after a one-year hiatus. The Sea Cliff community is invited to celebrate Scottish culture as well as the life and work of Robert Burns.

This will be St. Luke’s’ third Burns Night in four years. 2025 was skipped due to concerns that holding the event annually would cause people to lose interest, according to The Reverend Jesse Lebus, the Rector of St. Luke’s. However, there are discussions about bringing back Burns Night on a yearly basis.

“What we’ve done,” Lebus said. “is found a really great reason to have a party at St. Luke’s.”

Burns Night is a far-reaching tradition typically celebrated on Jan. 25 in honor of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The evening’s activities follow a specific order, beginning with the chairman’s welcome. Other activities include cultural music, the addressing and toasting of the Scottish haggis and poetry reading.

“We’re trying to bring the things to the community,” said Kristine Janusas, parishioner and organizer of St. Luke’s’ Burns Night, “that you don’t often have access to.”

Authentic haggis is typically made with sheep organs mixed with oatmeal, onions and seasoning. Because these sheep organs are not all commercially available, real haggis is not attainable in the United States. Janusas has found a replica at Kensington Pies II in Hempstead, which is what will be used at the event.

Sea Cliff resident Paul Haining will play the bagpipes, and there will also be a performance on Irish Uilleann Pipes by Long Island musician Luke Powers. Other music will include Celtic tunes and a performance by Frank Ferrara.

“It’s usually a lot of word of mouth and trying to find people who play the right type of music for this kind of event,” Janusas said. “So, we were lucky.”

Burns Night is also a fundraiser for St. Luke’s to support the church’s operating costs. Tickets are $45 when purchased in advance or $50 at the door.

Tickets can be purchased on the church’s website, SaintLukes-SeaCliff.org.

“Food and drink and music and poetry,” Lebus said. “are really at the heart of Sea Cliff.”