There must be a thousand Celtic festivals in the USA this year.
In places like Chicago. San Francisco. Las Vegas. Dayton, Ohio. West Palm Beach, Florida. Leesburg, Virginia.
Two Celtic festivals are less than 30 miles from my house. (My Irish band plays at the Frederick Celtic Festival this coming Saturday.)
These are local celebrations of all things Irish / Scottish / Welsh / Gallician / Breton / Cornish / Manx. Many of them have sprung up in the past 15 years as grassroots celebrations led by local societies of Celtic enthusiasts.
Regardless of a person's race or ethnicity, all are welcomed to these one- or two-day events.
Featuring music all day -- hundreds of Celtic bands have sprung up in this new millenium.
Dancing -- both social dances and performance dances.
Story-telling -- in the bardic tradition.
Clan gatherings -- with the wearing of kilts and the display of tartans.
Highland games -- caber toss, Scottish hammer throw, hurling and Gaelic football.
Crafts. Vendors. Food and drink.
And bagpipes -- plenty of bagpipes!
How are we to account for this explosion of interest?
In these times of great social change, there is a yearning for roots, a search for cultural stability, a desire to belong. I identify strongly with this yearning. Many Celtic enthusiasts as self-confessed pagans looking for meaning and significance in a chaotic world. And the Celts are the "tribe" they have chosen.
Though not a pagan, I have also chosen the Celtic "tribe." Some of my ancestors were French and German and English, but I've embraced my Irish roots.
Like many of you, I look back to ancient ways to help validate the life choices I've made. As a follower of Jesus, I look back across twenty centuries of the Christian faith, reading the New Testament documents and identifying with the early church. But I also identify with Justin Martyr and Augustine, with Patrick and Columcille, with Hilda and Caedmon, with Benedict and Francis.
Enough of that for now :)
Where is the Celtic festival nearest you? Why not plan to attend? Sing and dance a little. Learn a new fact. Make a new friend :)
What does that say when you can buy a copy of that book for a penny? :) I admire your desire to hew to your roots, be they Celtic or Canadian; I don't understand it fully, nor do I share that desire, but I think it's wonderful. (It's a good thing I'm not so inclined. My wife loathes bagpipes. I'm not exaggerating.) I believe passions of that kind are healthy and fun and life-affirming, and are a great source of fellowship and community. Sports at their best can be that for us - a way of drawing together under a common banner. But surely cultural roots have a much deeper foundation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts, Roger. I think a divorce might be imminent if I brought home a bagpipe :)
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