Tartan Day – April 6th
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Tartan Day was first celebrated in Canada. The Canadian Tartan Day celebrations were such a success America decided to join in! In 2004, the House of Representatives decreed that April 6, the date of the signing of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, should be established as National Tartan Day, to recognize 'The outstanding contribution and achievements made by Scottish Americans to the United States'.
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The Declaration of Arboreta was a declaration of Scottish Independence and set out to confirm Scotland's status as an independent sovereign state and its use of military action if unjustly attacked. The declaration, which was signed within the hallowed ground of Arbroath Abbey, is in the form of a letter to Pope John XXII dated April 6, 1320.
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It is said that the Declaration of Arbroath inspired the American Declaration of Independence and this may be one of the reasons why there are such strong links between the USA and Scotland. However, one of the other reasons is the vast numbers of Scots who emigrated to America and their descendants' proud desire to remember their Scottish heritage – and be recognized as Scots Americans.
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Sources: http://www.scotlandstartanday.com/tartan-day/tartan-day.asp
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