Gaelic culture

archipelago and council area off the west coast of mainland Scotland

Samhain ( , ; ; ) or '''' () is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season in autumn and beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. It is also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lughnasa. Historically it originated in Ireland and it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle o

Imbolc or Imbolg (), also called '''Saint Brigid's Day''' (; ; ), is a Gaelic traditional festival on 1 February. It marks the beginning of spring and is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland's patroness saint. Historically, its many folk traditions were widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Imbolc falls about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain.

Beltane ( ) or Bealtaine () is the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.

Lughnasadh, Lughnasa or Lúnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Traditionally, it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In recent centuries, some celebrations have shifted to Sundays near this date. Lughnasadh is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Samhain, Imbolc, and Beltane. It corresponds to the Welsh and the English Lammas.

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thumb|336px|right|Geographic distribution of Gaelic speakers in Scotland (2011) The '''' (; English: Gaeldom'') usually refers to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and especially the Scottish Gaelic-speaking culture of the area. The similar Irish language word refers, however, solely to Irish-speaking areas.

Gaelic political and social order that existed in Ireland from the prehistoric era until the early 17th century

Irish writer

resurgence of interest in the Irish language in the 19th century

Irish people and their descendants living outside Ireland (over 80 million claim Irish descent)

mythical ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland

thumb|Fifteenth-century sculpted figures of Gallowglass as depicted upon the apparent effigy of Felim O'Connor (d. 1265)|Feidhlimidh Ó Conchobhair, King of Connacht and father of [[Áed na nGall, victor of the Battle of Connacht.]]

A seanchaí ( or ; plural: ) is a traditional Gaelic storyteller or historian, serving as an oral repository. In Scottish Gaelic the word is (; plural: ). The word is often anglicised as shanachie ( ).

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Celtic celebration held on 26 December, St. Stephen's Day

Crofting () is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production peculiar to the Scottish Highlands, the islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man. Within the 19th-century townships, individual crofts were established on the better land, and a large area of poorer-quality hill ground was shared by all the crofters of the township for grazing of their livestock. In the 21st century, crofting is found predominantly in the rural Western and Northern Isles and in the coastal fringes of the western and northern Scottish mainland.

The Curadmír, modern Curadhmhír ('''Champion's Portion''') was an ancient custom referred to in early Irish literature, whereby the warrior acknowledged as the bravest present at a feast was given precedence and awarded the choicest cut of meat. This was often disputed violently. The custom appears most often in the legends of the Ulster Cycle. It is parallelled by historical customs of the ancient Celts of continental Europe, as recorded by classical writers.

Gregorian calendar as it is in use in Ireland