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People all over Scotland will be celebrating Burns Night tonight - 25 January - with a traditional Burns Supper.

Consisting of haggis and whisky, the Burns Supper sees family and friends come together to celebrate the life and works of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns.

Various Burns poems will be recited throughout the evening, and Burns' most famous work - Auld Lang Syne - will be sung at the end of the night.

Here's everything you need to know on Burns Night 2019, including traditions, facts and celebrations.

Who was Robert Burns?

A Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns was born in Ayrshire in 1759. He was the oldest of seven children, and grew up in poverty on his family's farm.

His poetry career took off when he was in his 20s. He had decided to move to Jamaica, and began to sell his poems in an effort to raise money for the trip. He produced a collection called 'Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect' that was ultimately so successful that he decided against emigrating.

Instead he stayed in Scotland, and moved to Edinburgh to pursue a literary career.

(Image: Getty)

Burns died in 1796, at just 37-years-old. It's believed that he had a rheumatic heart condition that was exacerbated by years of manual labour when he was growing up.

Today, Burns is a cultural icon, and is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland.

What is Burns Night?

After Robert Burns died, his friends agreed that they would celebrate his life every year on the anniversary of his death - 21 July. They kept to their word, but over the years the tradition changed, and they began to celebrate on the anniversary of his birth - 25 January - instead.

Today, Burns Night is celebrated every year in Scotland.

How is Burns Night celebrated?

Traditionally Burns Night will be celebrated by a Burns supper, where family and friends come together to celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns.

This meal consists of a traditional Scottish soup, followed by haggis with neeps (turnips) and tatties (mashed potatoes).

Various Robert Burns poems will be recited throughout the evening, including 'Address to a Haggis' when the haggis is brought in.

(Image: Reuters)

After eating, a speaker will make a toast to the "Immortal Memory of Robert Burns", giving a speech and then choosing a Burns song or poem to perform.

Then, a male guest will give an "Address to the Lassies", which is a jokey speech that pays tribute to the women present at the Burns supper.

A female guest will respond with a similarly humorous speech, the "Reply to the Laddies".

At the end of the evening, all the guests sing Burns' most famous work, Auld Lang Syne .

Robert Burns facts

Robert Burns had 12 children (nine with his wife and three with other women), and it is believed that he has over 600 living descendants today.

American Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger is Robert Burns' great-great-great nephew.

His first attempt at poetry came when he was 15-years-old, and in love with a farm labourer called Nelly Kilpatrick. He wrote her "O, Once I Lov'd A Bonnie Lass".

Burns' youngest son, Maxwell, was born on the day of his funeral.

The titles of 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'Of Mice and Men' are both inspired by Robert Burns poems. J.D. Salinger was inspired by poem 'Comin Thro the Rye', while Steinbeck's title comes from a line in 'The Mouse' - The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley’.

Both Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan were huge fans of Robert Burns.