Ireland has its New Year date falling in accordance to the Georgian calendar, i.e. January 1. A day before, i.e. on December 31st of the Old Year, splendid events go across all over Ireland to celebrate the arrival of New Year. New Years Eve in Ireland is a big day in the lives of the natives of Ireland.
It is quite reflective with the way they celebrate it. Though, New Years Eve is not observed as a public holiday in Ireland, but most of the offices and organizations witness an extremely lower footfall than the ordinary days.
Celebrations of New Years Eve in Ireland
Usually, the morning and noon time of New Years Eve is spent cleaning the house, making preparations for the evening parties, accumulating the supplies and food stock, and ensuring cellar to be completely equipped with coal. People make sure to put up fresh and preferably new bed sheets and sofa covers, and wear new clothes. All these aspects are performed with a belief to get started in the New Year, with good luck and prosperity on their side, as well as to ensure abundance in the coming year.
The party scene gets crafted in the early evening, when people start moving out of their homes to head towards the pubs, discotheques, and other hot party places in the town. However, most of the people prefer to move out to spend their New Years Eve in neighborhood or local pubs, where they can celebrate in the midst of the people they already know. There are some others who celebrate New Years Eve with their close friends and family members, in their home only. Most of these parties continue for the entire night of New Years Eve, and go on till the dawn of the next day.
Irrespective of the fact that if one is a part of a community celebration or a private affair, the special feast organized on New Years Eve, and the Irish culture reflected by these parties remain the most emphasized aspects of the evening. The party places are also the hubs for sharing New Year stories, as well as life stories of the past year. It is also a time to meet new people, and befriend them. Other than that, the countdown in the few preceding minutes to the New Year is also highly looked for by everyone.
The Midnight Scene in Ireland
With clock ringing twelve at midnight, the sounds of countdown turn into roars of celebration. It is well accompanied by the glorious fireworks, which fill entire sky with colorful colors and resonant sounds. People exchange good luck and New Year wishes with all other present around. Some of the places in Ireland also have New Years Eve parades in which many performers of different genres such as dance, acrobats, and music participate. Live music concerts are also organized, in which traditional musicians and pipe bands put across impressive performances in front of a live audience of thousands.
Apart from being considered as the last year of the day, New Years Eve in Ireland has few more significant aspects related to it. It is also the last day of the tax year, a mark concluding the fall harvest season, and an end of the darkest part of the year. To mark an end to this dark period, the tradition of putting up lights and bursting firecrackers have emerged, to be rigorously followed by everyone at present. There is also a tradition of making visits to the houses of friends and members of the extended family on New Years Eve.