Fans of cop shows and those who’ve been able to pay their respects to a fallen firefighter would know that the resplendent music made by bagpipes are one of the key components of hero funerals. It’s such a common practice that some people just accept the custom with no questions asked. But when you think about it, it’s actually quite interesting why this is a common tradition.
Why do firefighter funerals have bagpipes playing in the background?
True to what lots of people assume, this is a tradition in the fire departments in the US. This custom has a lot to do with the roots of the early firefighters in the country and it goes as far back as the Great Famine.
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The Great Famine Pushes Irishmen to the New World
In 1845 to 1849, the disaster known as the Great Famine took place in Ireland. Also known as the Great Hunger and the Irish Potato Famine, it was a period of disease and starvation in the region caused by a blight that led to potato crop failures for years.
This has caused Irish and Scottish people to look for other places to live. And with the New World a promising location for many, mass immigration to the United States took place.
While the immigrants escaped the famine in their homelands, they faced a different kind of challenge in the New World. With racism and discrimination going against them, jobs proved to be hard to find and secure.
It came to a point that shopkeepers even had signs posted in their windows and doors to keep the immigrants away. They used the acronym ‘NINA’ which means, ‘no Irish need apply’.
But obviously, these immigrants were no quitters. They were built to survive. These people didn’t leave a famine for nothing. They didn’t uproot themselves from everything they know just to starve halfway across the globe from where they were born. Pulling themselves by the bootstraps they took on the only jobs that were available to them.
Irish Immigrants Become Firefighters
Unwittingly, they became what we know as heroes. They were forced to take on some of the most labor-intensive and dangerous posts available – firefighting and other law enforcement jobs.
Immigrants became the best candidates for such professions because locals were not too keen on putting their lives on the line when there are other opportunities available. The extreme dangers and high death toll related to these posts kept a lot of people away.
They then became ripe for the picking for those without any other choices. And this is how lots of Irish and Scottish immigrants found themselves risking their lives putting out fires all over the new territories.
Playing Bagpipes takes root in Firefighter Funerals
And because it’s a Celtic tradition that bagpipes are played on celebrations and funerals back in their homeland, the fallen Irish and Scottish firefighters were honored in the traditional manner. By having bagpipes play in their funerals, their roots are honored and their culture celebrated even if they met their demise on foreign soil.
Some also suggest that playing bagpipes in firefighter funerals is a way for the fire department to remind everyone that Irish and Scottish immigrants are the very ones that risk and sacrifice their lives to protect the community. The loud and distinctive sounds of bagpipes are hard to miss or mistake for anything else. This made them very iconic and remarkable.
After a while, with so many immigrant officers, marshalls, and volunteers meeting their end in the job or even after retirement, bagpipes just became a staple in the funerals of the folks in the service. It eventually became a common practice to have a bagpiper to play music in honor of a fallen serviceman even if they’re not necessarily of Irish or Scottish descent.
Over time, the tradition has been carried on that bagpipes already ingrained itself in the culture of the said line of service. So much so that nowadays, it’s still being practiced and is a widely known tradition.
Wrap Up
Having bagpipes played in firefighter funerals will always be about paying tribute to the force’s roots. For the Scottish and Irish immigrants, it’s about honoring their homeland. For the later generations of firefighters, it’s about honoring the tradition of their profession.
This tradition is also going strong, thanks to the Emerald Society. This organization upholds the traditions of Irish firefighters. They also serve as the pipers at police and firefighter funerals. It’s a beautiful way to honor their lineage and keep alive the customs of this honorable vocation.