Background

The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is a show inspired by Military Tattoo

Military tattoo

The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...

s given by military bands and display teams. It has taken place annually in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

's capital, Halifax since 1979. It is the largest annual indoor show in the world. It is currently held in the Halifax Metro Centre

Halifax Metro Centre

The Halifax Metro Centre was built in 1978, in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The building is next to the World Trade and Convention Centre, at the foot of Citadel Hill. It is the largest arena in Halifax. It originally featured a full ring of bright orange seats around the playing surface,...

. The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is unique from any other Tattoo in the world in that it is more theatrical in nature with a healthy mixture of both military and civilian performers.
It takes place in Halifax Metro Centre

Halifax Metro Centre

The Halifax Metro Centre was built in 1978, in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The building is next to the World Trade and Convention Centre, at the foot of Citadel Hill. It is the largest arena in Halifax. It originally featured a full ring of bright orange seats around the playing surface,...

 in the hockey arena -- creating the show in a traditional theatre in the round. The show is heavily costumed and intensively rehearsed with technical staff, choreographers, assistant directors, wardrobe staff and designers as part of the production team -- setting it apart from Tattoos in the traditional sense.
With the recurring theme Bond of Friendship woven into the Nova Scotia Tattoo each year, warm international relationships were quick to form and continued to strengthen year after year.
The show has been seen by well over 1,000,000 spectators and hosted tens of thousands of performers from 21 countries. It generates tens of millions in economic impact annually for the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The Tattoo is presented annually by the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Society with support from the Government of Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Halifax Regional Municipality and the Corporate Community.
Run mainly by volunteers, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is a registered charity of Canada.

History

The word Tattoo is derived from dutch doe den tap toe (translated to turn off the taps). In 17th century Dutch villages when British soldiers were required back at their barracks, a drummer would march through the streets playing the drumbeat doe den tap toe.
While the first Nova Scotia Tattoo actually took place in 1979, the event that had the greatest impact on the Nova Scotia Tattoo was the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo. As part of the Centennial Celebrations, the 1967 Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo was the largest touring show ever presented in the world. During the summer of 1967, the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo made stops in Victoria, Vancouver, Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal – it toured for a total of eight months.
An officer with the Black Watch

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

The Black Watch of Canada is a reserve infantry regiment in 34 Brigade Group, Land Force Quebec Area. The regiment is located on rue de Bleury in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is currently commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Plourde...

, Ian Fraser, had experience working on Tattoos because of the Soldiers of the Queen production that was put together in Gagetown, NB, in 1959. Ian Fraser was called from the Staff College in India to Ottawa to produce the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo.
From that highly successful show, Ian Fraser was once again called upon in 1979 to organize a Tattoo to mark the visit of Her Majesty

Majesty

Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...

 Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...

 to Nova Scotia for the International Gathering of the Clans. This was the first time the International Gathering of the Clans had taken place outside of Scotland. Colonel Ian Fraser was commanded to organize the show in six months.

After the 1979 debut, the provincial government established the Nova Scotia Tattoo as a permanent tourist attraction. This show evolved into a culturally significant, economically important and critically acclaimed nine day production; a mainstay in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
In recognition of how much the show had evolved since 1979 on an international level, the name formally changed to The Nova Scotia International Tattoo in 1988.
On May 4, 2006, it was announced that the Tattoo had received the designation "Royal" from Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

. The announcement was made at Government House

Government House (Nova Scotia)

Government House of Nova Scotia is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, as well as that in Halifax of the Canadian monarch...

 in Nova Scotia by Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman

Myra Freeman

-References:* . Government of Nova Scotia. Accessed 2010-12-22....

.

Controversy

Tattoo organizers ignited a controversy in 2010 when Queen Elizabeth II canceled a special Royal Tour appearance at the Tattoo because the event organizers, citing safety reasons, refused to allow her to climb up a set of steps on the Tattoo stage.

See also

• List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
• Monarchy of Canada
• Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands
  Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands
  The Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands is one of the major cultural events of Quebec City, inspired by Military Tattoos given by Canadian and foreign military bands and display teams. It has taken place annually in August in Quebec City since 1998...
  
  

External links

• official website
• List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
• List of civilian organizations with the prefix "Royal" prepared by the Department of Canadian Heritage
• www.militarytattoo.org - Information Website