How do people in Northern Ireland celbrate holidays?
Question by Andrea: How do people in Northern Ireland celbrate holidays?
What holidays are there?
& how do you celebrate them.
..or if they celebrate them kind of like we do in the US…
anything helps.
thanks.
alright but the main thing i need to know is how they’re celebrated?
alright but the main thing i need to know is how they’re celebrated?
Best answer:
Answer by buttercup
Northern Ireland observes some of the same holidays. This is the full list:
New Year’s Day(January 1st)*
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th)*
Good Friday (2009: April 10th, 2010: April 2nd, 2011 April 22nd)
Easter Monday(2009: April 13th, 2010: April 5th, 2011 April 25th)
May Bank Holiday (First Monday in May)
Spring Bank Holiday (Last Monday in May)
Battle of the Boyne (July 12th)*
Summer Bank Holiday (Last Monday in August)
Christmas Day (December 25th)*
Boxing Day (December 26th)*
Give your answer to this question below!
Much the same as everywhere else, with some exceptions.
(dates are 2010 specific)
(* afterwards shows that this holiday is not an official public holiday)
Jan 1 – New Years Day
The only usual activities on this day involve recovering from the party or celebration the previous night
Mar 17 – St Patrick’s Day (not celebrated in the rest of the UK)
“St Paddy’s” (never St “Pattys” with a double “t” – this is an American mistranslation that has lasted until today, and is never used in Ireland and Northern Ireland) parades in large towns and cities. Small fairs and celebrations elsewhere. Wearing of green all round. As around 40% of people in Northern Ireland are Nationalist and consider themselves Irish, these celebrations are usually a huge gathering for for Nationalists and were often accompanied by heavy security incase of Unionist paramilitary attack (before the late 90s).
Apr 2 – Good Friday
Nothing significant, other than special church services for those who are of the Christian faith. Good Friday is silently celebrated as the day that the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, ending much of the violence in Northern Ireland and paving the way for unity and peace.
Apr 4 – Easter Sunday
Church services for those who are of the Christian faith. Children recieve chocolate easter eggs from parents and relatives. Most shops are closed and public transport services reduced/limited.
Apr 5 – Easter Monday
Church services for those who are of the Christian faith.
May 3 – May Day Bank Holiday
Large fairs and celebrations often take place in town and city centres, which include participation games for children, souvenir stalls and music/entertainment. Most shops are closed and public transport services reduced/limited.
May 31 – Spring Bank Holiday
Nothing significant. Most shops are closed and public transport services reduced/limited.
Jul 12 – “The Twelfth” or “The Twelfth of July” (not celebrated in the rest of the UK)
Celebration of the Battle of the Boyne. Only celebrated by the Unionist (pro-British) community. Immense bonfires are constructed in carefully chosen areas in the weeks running up to this holiday from wooden palettes and scrap wood. These bonfires are lit on the night of the 11th/morning of the 12th at Midnight. Often, the bonfires are topped by the Irish flag, a symbolic show of opposition to Nationalists (pro-Irish). This usually attracts a large crowd, who use the occasion to have some beers and socialise. The day of the 12th usually involves large Unionist flute-band parades and often large fairs. Most shops are closed and public transport services reduced/limited.
Aug 30 – Summer Bank Holiday
Nothing significant. Most shops are closed and public transport services reduced/limited.
Oct 31 – “Hallowe’en”, “Samhain”, “All Hallows Eve” etc.*
Children dress up and go from door to door collecting money. It is more imaginative than the American tradition, as children often say a traditional or humourous rhyme when the person opens their door. Because of this, the tradition is usually known as “Hallowe’en Rhyming”. In modern times, some choose to give sweets or chocolate instead of money. Adults often dress up to go to parties also. “Halloween” (without the apostrophe between the “E”s) is another Americanism, but is being used more often in other countries due to its simplicity.
Dec 25 – Christmas Day
The usual. Putting up of the Christmas tree some weeks before. Opening of presents on Christmas morning. Visiting relatives to give gifts. Massive turkey dinner, although duck and goose are popular substitutes nowadays due to the dry and often flavourless nature of turkey when incorrectly cooked. There are often special church services on this day, but in Northern Ireland as with the rest of the UK, Christmas is mostly a secular affair, which differs from America where it has much religious significance.
Dec 26 – Boxing Day
Relaxing after the fast-paced day (or too much alcohol) the night before. Many people head to the shops to take advantage of the “January Sales” which begin this day and is the largest and best sale period of the year.
Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve*
It is common to go to a New Years party at night-time, during which there will be a New Years countdown at midnight. It is often considered to accommodate the largest or best parties of the entire year.