Welcome Clans and Societies
Get ready for the 38th Annual Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games on November 1-3, 2024!
2024 Clan and Society Participants
Richard McBain of McBain, the 23rd Hereditary Chief of Clan McBain
Chief of Games
Clan McBain
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The Definition of a Clan
The Gaelic word for ‘children’ is more accurately translated as ‘family’ in E’en Do bait Spair Nocht. the sense in which the word Clan became accepted in the Scottish Highlands during the 13th century.
A Clan is a social group whose core comprises a number of families derived from, or accepted as being derived from, a common ancestor.
Almost without exception, that core is accompanied by a further number of dependent and associated families who have either sought the protection of the Clan at some point in history or have been tenants or vassals of its Chief. That Chief is owed allegiance by all members of the Clan, but ancient tradition nevertheless states that the Clan is above the Chief.
Although Gaelic has been supplanted by English in the Lowlands of Scotland for nearly a thousand years, it is an acceptable convention to refer to the great Lowland families, like the Douglas’, as Clans although the heads of certain families, such as Bruce, prefer not to use the term.
Allegiance was generally given to a father’s Clan, but Celtic tradition includes a strong element of descent through, and loyalty to, a mother’s line. In reality, the chief of a Clan would ingather any stranger, of whatever family, who possessed suitable skills, maintained his allegiance and, if required, adopted the Clan surname. We welcome all Clan and Societies to participate in our Festival. To register please submit your application today. Slainte!
Resource for Clan definition: http://www.clangregor.org
If you would like to make a donation directly to the Festival it will be greatly appreciated and will help share the fun and culture with our community! Please contact us at tucsoncelt1@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Go raibh maith agat!
(Thank you)