Bloom's Day in Ireland (16/06)

Thursday June 16, 1904 went down in literary history as Bloom's Day. On this day, the novel by Irish writer James Joyce «Ulyss» (James Joyce, Ulysses) takes place, and the name of the holiday is in honor of the main character of the novel — by Dublin Jew Leopold Bloom.

It is believed that on this day, June 16, 1904, the first meeting of Joyce and his future wife Nora Barnacle took place, and therefore the writer decided to immortalize this day in his work.

1904 was the year Joyce separated from his homeland. He moved to the European continent, carrying Ireland not yet in manuscripts, but to the heart. And, in fact, from this moment on, everything he wrote will become one big memory.

Every year on June 16, fans of the novel «Ulysses» around the world celebrate Bloom's Day. Many fans of «Ulysses» come to Ireland to follow the route of the heroes of the novel — Bloom and Stephen, taking their journey through Dublin to Bloomsday.

Despite the fact that Bloomsday's 100th anniversary in 2004 was celebrated magnificently all over the world, including in Ireland, there were times when Joyce's name was not held in high esteem in the writer's homeland. Joyce's «UlyssES» was banned from Ireland until the 1960s, but some daredevils managed to smuggle the book into the country.

But even before the official appearance of the novel «Ulysses» in Ireland, in 1954 Bloomsday was celebrated for the first time in a very narrow circle in Dublin. Then five men, among whom were writers and a man who called himself Joyce's cousin, went on a journey from Martello Tower to Davy Byrne's pub. Bloomsday was no longer celebrated in Dublin until 1982.

On June 16, 1962, the James Joyce Museum was opened in the Martello Tower — in the very place where the action of the novel — begins.

It was not until 1982, the centenary year of James Joyce's birth, that Bloomsday was officially celebrated in Dublin, after which the scale of Bloomsday celebrations began to increase every year.

Now on the streets of Dublin you can find a monument to Joyce and signs indicating that it was in this place that the paths of the main characters of «Ulysses» passed. This holiday is no less popular in other countries.

Since 2004, by decision of the society «Petersburg — Ireland», the holiday has been celebrated in St. Petersburg.

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