Did Massachusetts just make haggis legal

Governor Maura Healey signed what appeared to be an executive order legalizing haggis in Massachusetts, but the whole thing turned out to be an elaborate joke staged for Scotland's World Cup fans.

When Scottish podcaster David McIntosh Jr. walked into the Massachusetts State House alongside members of Scotland's famous Tartan Army, he probably did not expect to walk out having apparently changed American food law. A video posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2026, showed Governor Maura Healey signing what looked very much like an official executive order, declaring haggis legal in the state of Massachusetts.

TL:DR – The clip racked up more than 600,000 views on Instagram almost immediately. There was just one problem. It was not real.

What Actually Happened at the State House

The scene was straightforward enough on the surface. McIntosh Jr., a Scottish podcaster who has been documenting the Tartan Army's takeover of Boston ahead of Scotland's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, brought the haggis campaign directly to the governor's office. In the video, after Healey appeared to sign the document, McIntosh Jr. asked the obvious question.

"Governor, what have we just signed?" Scottish podcaster David McIntosh Jr. asked. "We've made haggis legal in Massachusetts," Healey responded.

MA becomes first state to 'legalize' Scottish haggis - The Boston Globe — https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/18/lifestyle/maura-healey-legalizes-haggis-world-cup/

The post gathered more than 23,000 likes and spread rapidly across social media, with many people genuinely believing Massachusetts had just become the first American state to legalize the Scottish dish. By Thursday, however, Healey was forced to set the record straight in a follow-up post that became almost as viral as the original.

"I have received countless messages from Massachusetts residents, Scotland supporters, legal experts, and at least one very concerned sheep regarding my order making haggis legal in Massachusetts. After careful review by my office, I am prepared to clarify that this was, in fact, a joke."

MA becomes first state to 'legalize' Scottish haggis - The Boston Globe — https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/18/lifestyle/maura-healey-legalizes-haggis-world-cup/

Her official X account, @MassGovernor, followed up with a deadpan post that simply read "Thank you for your attention to this matter," which itself pulled in 69,000 views.

Why Haggis Is Actually Illegal in the United States

To understand why the joke landed so well, you need to understand why haggis is banned in the first place. Traditional Scottish haggis is a sausage-like dish made from a sheep's heart, liver, and lungs, combined with oats, onions, and spices, all cooked together in a casing. The problem for American food regulators is the lung content. Since 1971, the United States Department of Agriculture has prohibited livestock lungs from being used in human food products. That single regulation has effectively kept authentic haggis off American menus and supermarket shelves for more than five decades.

The ban is federal, which means no state governor, regardless of how enthusiastically they mime signing executive orders, can actually override it through a state-level action. Any real attempt to legalize haggis in Massachusetts would still leave the dish illegal under federal law, as the USDA's jurisdiction supersedes state authority on food safety standards.

According to CBS News Boston, haggis remains illegal in Massachusetts despite the theatrical State House signing, and no laws or regulations were actually changed by the stunt.

The "No Haggis, No Party" Campaign

The joke did not emerge from nowhere. It was rooted in a genuine and ongoing campaign by Scottish producers and fans to pressure American authorities into lifting the ban ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Scottish butcher Simon Howie launched a "No Haggis, No Party" campaign and an accompanying petition specifically aimed at bringing haggis to the United States for the tournament, according to the Boston Globe. The campaign reflected a real frustration among Scottish fans traveling to the United States for the World Cup. For many members of the Tartan Army, haggis is not simply food. It is a cultural touchstone, a dish tied directly to Scottish identity, Burns Night celebrations, and a sense of national pride that travels with supporters wherever Scotland plays.

Boston's Scottish Moment

Scotland's World Cup matches are being played at Boston Stadium in Foxboro, and the city has embraced the influx of Scottish supporters with considerable enthusiasm. The week of the matches saw Boston Common transformed into a gathering point for Tartan Army fans, with a large event on Wednesday celebrating Irn-Bru, the aggressively orange Scottish soft drink that rivals haggis as a symbol of Scottish culinary culture. Governor Healey spoke warmly about the Scottish presence in the city, even as she clarified that she had not actually rewritten food law on their behalf.

"What we've seen here in Massachusetts and in Boston is the Scottish people come and just show such joy and such energy. This is a time in our world right now, people need that positivity, and I think that's what people here are going to associate with Scotland."

Haggis is not on the menu in Boston for the World Cup — https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/haggis-massachusetts-legal-scotland/

Boston has a historically significant Scottish-American community, and the city's connection to Scottish heritage made it a natural focal point for Tartan Army activity during the tournament.

So Can You Eat Haggis in the United States at All?

The short answer is: not the authentic version. American-made haggis substitutes, which replace the sheep lung with other ingredients to comply with USDA regulations, are available in some specialty stores and Scottish-themed restaurants. However, purists argue these versions miss something essential. Imported traditional haggis from Scotland cannot legally enter the country under current federal rules.

The petition and the broader campaign around the World Cup have kept the issue in public conversation, but as of June 2026, there has been no formal movement at the federal level to revisit the 1971 USDA ruling. Changing the ban would require action from the USDA itself, not a state governor, not a petition, and certainly not a cheerful piece of paper signed in the Massachusetts State House for a Scottish podcaster's Instagram reel.

A Joke With a Serious Undercurrent

What made the Healey moment resonate so widely was that it captured something genuine. The Tartan Army's visit to Boston has been marked by warmth, cultural exchange, and the kind of good-natured chaos that Scottish football fans tend to generate wherever they travel. The haggis ban, absurd as it may seem to outsiders, is a real and longstanding grievance for Scottish visitors to the United States. Healey's willingness to play along, and then to clarify with equal good humor, reflected the spirit of the week. Massachusetts did not legalize haggis. It probably cannot, at least not in any meaningful way without federal intervention. But for one afternoon in the State House, it briefly felt like it had, and that was apparently enough to delight tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Atlantic. The haggis remains, for now, firmly on the banned list. The Tartan Army, however, appears to have won Boston's heart without it.