Category Archives: Ireland

Celebrating May Day, Worldwide

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Next Monday the 5th May is the annual holiday May Day, and a bank holiday. Surprisingly enough, May Day is not just a tradition celebrated in the UK, but it has a different level of significance in a number of countries across the modern world. Whether you are planning a road trip across the USA, or you are looking for help hiring a taxi in Romania, Penguin can help you with a huge directory of hired cars available, all at your fingertips!

[penguin] may pole blogEngland

Associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime and fertility, May Day in England is often accompanied by Morris Dancers and with the traditional cross cultural maypole, where dancers will circle it with ribbons attached to the maypole.

May Day was once abolished by puritan parliaments but was reinstated by Charles II in 1660. In 2011 the UK Parliament attempted to replace May Day with a bank holiday in October known as ‘United Kingdom Day’ but this decision was overruled.

Ireland

Ireland has celebrated May Day since pagan times, when it was known as Bealtaine. Originally the Irish would light giant bonfires in order to welcome the coming of summer and to scare away the darkness and cold, long nights of the winter months. Although to this day larger cities do not partake in May Day Bonfires, smaller rural areas will still light a bonfire for good luck. 

Romania

May Day in Romania is commonly associated with the celebration of the beginning of summer. People would have parties where they would roast lamb and drink red wine to refresh the blood and symbolise protection from a bad harvest and diseases. People may wash their faces with morning dew for good health and you might also see birch saplings or green branches tied around house fates for good luck.

In the evenings it was traditional for both men and women to not do any work in the house or out on the farms, as well as the animals, so as to avoid bad luck. It was thought that if anyone worked during May Day eve, they could die or the animals could fall ill.

[penguin] heart blogGermany

May Day is similar to a miniature Valentine ’s Day, as traditionally a maypole was delivered to the house of a girl the night before may day, covered in coloured streamers.

The maypole is normally from a love interest, although if the pole was covered in white streamers it was considered a sign of dislike for the girl. Girls would place roses or rice in the shape of a heart at the doorstep of their loved one. On leap years, females would place the maypole on May Day.

 

St Patrick’s Day Festival

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Today is St Patrick’s Day, one of the most well-known holidays for those of Irish descent. St Patrick’s Day is celebrated enthusiastically across the world, but nowhere celebrates better than the Irish themselves. Those of Irish American descent may find themselves caught up in parades and various celebrations, but if you’re looking for the best place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Ireland is the place to be.

From the 14th to the 17th March 2014, the whole of Ireland gathered together to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in St Patrick’s Festival, located in Dublin, Ireland, and full of exciting events and performances that continued throughout the weekend.

St Patrick is one of Ireland’s most famous saints and most of what is known about him is derived from the Declaration thought to have been written by Patrick himself. It depicts Saint Patrick’s life before he became a priest, when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery on Gaellic Ireland, where he worked as a shepherd. During his days there he claimed to have ‘found god’ and brought it back to mainland Ireland, where he converted many of the Pagan Irish to Christianity until he died on the 17th March.

DUBLIN IN FEBRUARY 2006The St Patrick’s Day parade uses Ireland’s commemorative era as inspiration and throughout the next few years will be looking at the themes of ‘Past Present and Future’ when it comes to celebrating St Patrick’s Day and Ireland’s history. Plus next year the festival will pose the question ‘Who do we aspire to be in the next 100 years?’

Eight pageant companies will bring beautiful creations to life that culminated in a gorgeous and awe-inspiring parade that started at 12pm today. It begins on Parnell Square in Dublin, passing through O’Connell Street, over O’Connell Bridge, Westmoreland Streets, Dane Street and through to where it finishes at St Patrick’s Cathedral. If you’re visiting Ireland on holiday, why not hire a car in Dublin and head over to catch the festivities?

[penguin]st patricks day blogOther events that occurred throughout the weekend was a number of Music and Street performance vendors, including fun-fairs and various entertainment rides and information about the history of St Patrick’s Day, making it a great day out for you and the kids.

All this culminates in the Greening the City event, among other events, which starts at 6:30pm and sees various iconic buildings throughout Dublin ‘going green’ meaning that they are bathed in a green spotlight. It is a momentous event and one not to miss for those aspiring photographers out there!