St. Patrick's Day is undoubtedly the most important national Irish festival, celebrated on March 17 across the country .The story of the hero of the celebration - St. Patrick - is replete with legends and legends .His main merit is that he converted pagan Ireland to Christianity, becoming forever her guardian angel..Celebrations begin with a morning parade, to which Irish of all ages come dressed in red wigs and green headdresses, painted faces Irish flags and green patterns, with pots of clover in their hands..Until late evening, the streets of cities are filled with bagpipe music, filled with crowds of cheerful and carefree people dancing for it, for which this day is quite special..As soon as twilight falls on the cities, the sky explodes with fireworks lights, and folk festivities continue in pubs, where this night the beer is poured by the river .

May 1 in Ireland celebrate the beginning of summer - Beltane .Earlier on this day, for the first time after a long winter, the peasants let the cattle out of the crib so that she could enjoy the first spring grass .In the fields, fires were kindled and, according to tradition, they sacrificed a sheep or a ram - this sacrifice should have been lucky throughout the year .The tradition to kindle fires has survived to this day: so the Irish meet the summer and the sun, which - according to legend - will now brightly and gently shine all summer, so that in autumn the harvest was a success for the glory of .

On June 16, admirers of the work of writer James Joyce and in particular his famous novel Ulysses gather in the capital of Ireland. On this day, there is a celebration in his honor - Bloom Day. From all over the world, people come to Dublin, dreaming to pass the streets and alleys that the characters of the novel Stephen and Bloom used to, perhaps, feel them somewhere very close.

Few people know that Halloween, the All Saints Day, so popular today in the world, owes its origin to Irish traditions..Once upon a time, it was on the night of October 31 to November 1 that the Celtic New Year was celebrated - Samain .Here this name is still a holiday and to this day, and the symbol of it is a pumpkin with a cut out terrible grimace .The Celts believed that on the eve of Samhain, the worlds of the living and the dead unite into one and the dividing line disappears, therefore it is very important to observe the traditions that will not allow the evil spirits of the dead to take over the world of the living and immerse it into the darkness..

December 26 in Ireland celebrate the Catholic holiday St. Stephen's Day, a martyr who was beaten to death with stones because he refused to betray the teachings of Christ .To this day, the Irishmen honor and remember this saint, and on his day it is customary to do good deeds of .Boys on this holiday dress up in suits of chimney-sweepers and with soot-smeared faces walk around the city with songs, passers-by give them gifts and money, which are usually donated for charitable purposes..Saint Stefan is considered the patron of horses, so this day at the Leopardstown racetrack there is the opening of the Christmas Festival of Race .