Bloomsday is the day every Irishman loves celebrating.
It’s always Thursday, June 16, every year. That day, only in 1904, was described on 800 pages of Ulysses by James Joyce.
Writing only about one day of a Dublin jew Leopold de Bloom, Joyce changed literature history forever. Some say, the author chose that day for a reason, as on 16 of June he met his future wife, Nora Barnacle.
That was also a year when he had to move from his home country to the European continent, so it’s something like a preserved memory of his motherland. Culturally-coded, it still touches Irish folks’ hearts. For every year they celebrate it along with Joyce’s fans coming from all over the world.
Back in the day, there were a lot of issues regarding literature censorship.
Joyce’s novel was banned in Ireland until the 1960s, yet that did not stop some of the admirers who were brave enough to ignore the restructural law. That’s how the book used to travel into the country.
That was a group of 5 men, including a gentleman who claimed to be his cosine. They had established the Bloomsday and managed to complete the book-bases route starting from the Martello Tower and ending at the Davy Byrne pub.
One of them hired two vintage horse carriages, copy-cating the characters on their way to Paddy Dignam’s funeral.
They are also casted themselves to be the character of the nook to drive all over the city and visit all the places mentioned in the novel till the location called “Nighttown”.
They dropped it halfway, though, being too drunk to continue.
After that, the tradition had not been followed until 1982. This year, they founded a James Joyce museum here.
It was officially only in 1982 when the celebration was brought back to life.
The occasion was the 100 years since the great writer’s birth. Since then, the tradition has been progressively evolving and spreading outside of Dubai. The occasion was James Joyce’s 100th birthday.
Now one can find a monument to Joyce in Dublin. And on its streets, there are signs of Ulysses’s main character’s path. The day is equally celebrated in other countries as well.
People gather for public out-loud readings, discussions, lectures, talks, plays, and simply going the route. They also do a historical reconstruction of those times, dressing up, cooking, and drinking accordingly.
The menu is:
- Fried lamb kidneys
- A glass of burgundy
- Italian cheese sandwich, and more!
The festival annually attracts more than 20 thousand people to Ireland. Folks usually celebrate it for a whole week.
By now it’s more than just literature admiring though. It’s an Irish culture with Guinness, Irish music, poetry, and its native art
There’s more to see!
When visiting Ireland, consider taking a look at these places:
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The Dublin Castle
This astonishing historical monument has been in excellent shape since 1204. To this day, it’s the main castle of Ireland and attracts every tourist’s attention.
The National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland
That is for someone who needs some fun at the end of the day. Leprechauns are national symbolic creatures, and some truly believe they exist.
Guinness Storehouse
The museum is open at the operating brewery. Visitors will be told in detail how to brew one of the best types of beer in the world. Here you can taste a fresh drink made at the legendary production.
Come and try one of the best beers in the world. Freshly made, it will be an excellent addition to the lecture on how it’s made. Besides, the building has a overlook hall.
