Carole M. Cusack, Hamefarin and Homecoming: Historical and Cultural Links between Scotland and the Diaspora and the Creation of Modern Festivals By Carole Cusack

https://www.academia.edu/144993068/Carole_M_Cusack_Hamefarin_and_Homecoming_Historical_and_Cultural_Links_between_Scotland_and_the_Diaspora_and_the_Creation_of_Modern_Festivals?email_work_card=title Sydney Society for Scottish History Journal, Vol. XXII, 2025, pp. 31-44. The Scottish Government promotion of 2009 as the “Year of Homecoming” was both a tourist marketing exercise and an opportunity to connect with the worldwide Scottish diaspora. Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand have a sizeable population with ties to Scotland, and the tradition of homecoming specific to Shetland, Hamefarin (in the Norn dialect, first held in 1960) has a particular connection with the Southern Hemisphere. The Hamefarin takes precedence for those of Shetlander background, as its specific cultural significance outweighs that of commercial, pan-Scottish events like the 2009 Year of Homecoming. ...