#Fisheries Field in Galway

[streetsofdublin]

DO PEOPLE IN IRELAND CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN

Today, Halloween is celebrated in Ireland in much the same way as it is in other parts of the world. People dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, and light bonfires. However, there are still some traditional Irish Halloween customs that are still ob

ACTUALLY IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT THE FESTIVAL ORIGINATED IN IRELAND This series of images was captured in 2017 and the photographs have been very much processed and modified because the original RAW files were close to unusable. I receive many requests for information and, excluding questions relating to Leprechauns , the most common question that I receive is “do people in Ireland have…

[crushondonald]

Macnas Halloween Parade 'Savage Grace' 2016 in Galway, Ireland

© Photo credit: macnas.com

Macnas (Irish for "joyful abandonment") is a performance company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway, Ireland. Its public performances are noted for being "pioneering, inventive and radical" in style. The company has been credited with changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland and is regarded as highly influential within the field of spectacle performance. (Wikipedia)

🎃 Oíche Shamhna Shona Daoibh ~ Happy Hallowe'en 🎃

[katherinelhughes]

Ireland Impressions

I just returned yesterday from a five-day trip to Ireland with my daughter, Isabelle.  She is applying to grad schools, and this last summer I let her know that I had AAdvantage miles that needed to be used.  I thought she might use them to travel to interviews, but it turns out that in the world of Biology, the schools pay for prospective students to come interview.  I realized yet again that I chose a difficult field--as a free-lance professional violinist, I’ve gotten used to paying to play, so to speak...  Anyway, she suggested that we take a trip to Ireland.  She works in a lab with someone who had gone there on his honeymoon, and he had very enthusiastically recommended that she go.

Without going into a lot of detail, Isabelle had a run-in with a virulent virus (I know that’s redundant) in September.  The virus caused some frightening seizures which resulted in two hospitalizations.  We weren’t sure that we would be able to go on our trip, scheduled for the end of November.  So when Isabelle got the okay from her doctors, it was excellent news, in many ways.

We had held off making hotel reservations, but fortunately the end of November is off-season in Ireland.  Ordinarily I would have done a lot of research to decide where to visit and where to stay, but the last-minute nature of our planning made that impossible.  Maybe the more spontaneous approach to this adventure made it more satisfying.  Also, thanks to crowd-sourced reviews of everything on the internet, gone are the days of toting guidebooks around.  Our last big trip was to Munich and environs--eight years ago--and we definitely did that the old-fashioned way. 

Okay, I’ll get on with it.  We actually had five full days in Ireland, bookended by two days of travel.  The airline travel was unremarkable, which might be remarkable, now that I think of it.  Our plan was to spend one night in Dublin, two nights in Galway, one night in Cork, and the last night back in Dublin.

Day One: Dublin

Our hotel was just south of the River Liffey in the City Centre.  We took a cab there from the airport and dropped off our suitcases so we could immediately start exploring.  On our way to see the library at Trinity College, we ran across a cool exhibit of art books at a gallery.  A good start.  At the library we learned that only a facsimile of the Book of Kells (the famous medieval manuscript) would be on display that week.  Not a big deal, especially since the library itself was awe-inspiring.  I overheard someone saying something about Harry Potter, and we learned that they had shot a library scene there.  It was also featured in one of the later Star Wars movies.  Did that make it more meaningful to me?  I’m almost ashamed to admit that it may have...  We also visited the Guinness Storehouse in the early evening.  It’s described as a “brewery experience”.  A bit too theme-parkish for my taste, but I definitely know more about the process of brewing beer in huge quantities!  The top floor bar where we had our complimentary pint has a 360 degree view of the city.  We had two great meals that day, both at pubs.  I have a much different impression of what pub food is now--many vegetarian and even vegan options.

Day Two: Dublin to Galway

A few days before our trip, I literally awoke in a cold sweat about driving on the left side of the road.  My colleague Catherine had given this advice, to be used as a mantra: drive on the left and look to the right.  We were picking up the rental car, and I would be the only driver--Isabelle isn’t able to drive for six months from the time of the last seizure.  The weather was pretty intense--driving rain and wind.  I thought it was charming that so many people apologized for the weather.  We had escaped just before a big snow in Chicago, so I kept assuring folks that we had seen worse!  The driving challenge turned out to be my position on the right side of the car.  It took me an entire day of Isabelle saying “Mom, you’re over the line!” to get used to centering the car in my lane.  Driving on the left side wasn’t as weird as I had thought it would be.  And I think the roundabouts are brilliant.  They keep traffic flowing, and cause fewer accidents than traffic lights.

We had breakfast/early lunch at Tyrrellspass Castle, and continued on to another castle at Tullamore--Charleville.  Evidently, they have an annual music festival there called Castlepalooza.  They were shooting a rock video when we arrived, and we weren’t able to go in, but the drive up to it was downright magical.  That was a word that kept popping into my head over and over.  The rain and temperate climate cause the vegetation to be green, even in late November.  That, along with the mist and ancient trees, conjured up images of fairy tale enchanted forests.

We decided that we would go directly to the Cliffs of Moher since it looked like it would be rainy the following day.  The drive up there was pretty harrowing.  We were on rural roads that narrowed without much notice, and I was still trying to hone my new driving skills.  What a reward when we arrived though!  The cliffs at the edge of the Atlantic are ruggedly breathtaking.  Because it was off-season and relatively late in the day, there were very few tourists.  And there were sheep grazing right next to the trails--even a proverbial black sheep.  They are the ���Shaun the Sheep” type with the black faces, and both Isabelle and I are big fans.  It’s too bad that today I started thinking about the fact that they are livestock and not pets...

When I started the car at the Cliffs, two warning lights came on.  We looked them up--Electronic Stabilization Control and Emission Control.  I figured we could make it to Galway, but we knew we would have to address the issue the next day.  Thankfully, we did get there with no trouble.  Our hotel was once again in the City Centre.  About a block away was a Christmas market with food stalls and some carnival rides.  Before we left home, I had wondered how commercial Christmas would be in Ireland.  We learned that decorations generally go up a day after Halloween, so I guess that the US isn’t the only place that extends the holiday to last over two months.  But to us, everything looked so quaint suspended over cobblestone streets.  There is also an upscale Irish department store, Brown Thomas, that does some wackily inventive holiday windows.  In Galway, one featured a male mannequin with an owl’s head.  We had another great dinner--excellent farm to table food and a vegan local beer.

Day Three: Galway

We finally had a chance to sleep in!  Then, unfortunately, we had to drop the car at an Enterprise-approved car repair facility for diagnosis.  It was very close to the City Centre, so we walked to the Fisheries Watchtower (museum) and the Galway Museum.  The wind was fierce--equal to anything I’ve experienced in Chicago, but that weather was over by 2 PM or so.  At the museum, we learned about the ancient and more recent history of the city, including the Irish uprising against the British.  I know through 23andMe that my DNA makeup is 41% British and Irish, the largest percentage in the mix.  23andMe doesn’t specify English, Scottish, Welsh, or Irish--I’m probably all of the above.  We're pretty sure that the Hughes name comes from Wales, and our background is pretty thoroughly Protestant.  I grew up with the impression that the Reformation was a positive thing, and that the Protestants held the moral high ground.  But in this phase of my political thinking, my belief is that religious differences have most often been used to justify` the lust for power and the control of natural resources and goods.  I also just finished an amazing book on the trip--”Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire” by Kurt Andersen.  The US was founded by some pretty crazy Protestants, and I can’t take much pride in the ways that they behaved.  Anyway, the visit to Ireland has led me to wonder what my ancestors’ political roles were in these struggles for independence.

We had savory pie for lunch--mine was kale and wild mushroom, locally sourced again, with spelt flour crust.  Isabelle and I agreed that it was our favorite meal of the trip.  We had to go back to the car repair place, and they informed us that we needed to get a replacement vehicle.  This gave us the opportunity to talk with the lovely young woman from the Enterprise facility in Galway, the longest conversation we had with any local on the trip.  The replacement car was newer and better, and they gave us a free day’s rental, so it was a win-win-win situation!  We briefly visited the gorgeous Galway Cathedral where a nice man let us in even though they had just officially closed.  We also heard some Irish traditional music, and ate at yet another farm to table restaurant.  Incidentally, the prices were really reasonable compared to Chicago prices for similar food.

Day Four: Galway to Cork

Isabelle figured that Limerick would be a great place to stop on our way to Cork.  We ended up spending much more time there than we had planned.  After a great mocha (my first time trying oat milk) and breakfast, we went exploring.  There was a mostly ruined castle, King John’s Castle, that had an excellent museum component that inspired more rumination on the conflicts between the different factions in the British Isles.  And very nearby was the 850 year old Cathedral of St. Mary.  Very impressive to us Americans when we’re inside a building with that kind of history...

We decided to visit Blarney Castle on our way to Cork, and it was much more captivating, and much less touristy than I had imagined.  As we approached the castle on foot, we passed signs that read “90 minutes to the Blarney Stone”, “60 minutes to the Blarney Stone” etc.  We were once again grateful that we were there in the off-season.  Our wait to kiss the Blarney Stone was...0 minutes!  Yes, we did it.  There are many stories about the Stone, but the most common is that it gives you the gift of gab, and not in a good way.  But I figure I can use the gift of gab--everyone always tells me that I’m too quiet and very private.  Wow--it may already be working, since I’m writing this long involved post about our vacation!  Surrounding the castle is a gorgeous park that is truly a botanical garden, including a poison garden.  That traditionally would have had medicinal plants that “will either kill you or cure you.”  There were huge redwoods, oversized rhubarb plants, a spectacular fern garden with waterfall--magical, you might say!

We went on to Cork, found our B & B, and went into the City Centre for another excellent meal.  We wandered around, figuring out what we wanted to do there the next morning.  There was a large courtyard with a light display called “Glow” that was set to open the next day.  Also a ferris wheel that seems to be a standard part of a Christmas market--who knew?  Our B & B was pretty cool, but the woman who ran it seemed disappointed that we hadn’t opted for the breakfast part of the equation.  We had our sights set on a coffee place we had seen on our reconnaissance mission...

Day Five: Cork to Dublin

We did go to the Bean and Leaf, and it was very near to the English Market that we planned to visit.  The English Market is a covered food market that houses a huge variety of fresh grocery items.  We wondered about the origins of the name, and found out that the English or Protestant Corporation that ran Cork untl the mid 1800′s founded it.  It catered to a wealthy clientele while the Irish Market catered to the working class folk.  Now, everyone goes there, and they have all of the super-trendy foods that you would find in an upscale grocery store in the states.  We bought a few things there, walked around a bit more, and got in the car to head to our last big adventure. 

Almost as ubiquitous as the sheep on the hillsides were the rainbows.  We saw a few every day that we were driving, including a couple of double rainbows.  The conditions were perfect--light rain, followed by the sun breaking through the clouds.  Now I understand the whole leprechaun and pot of gold at the end of the rainbow image.  They seem so...magical!

I think it was the vinyl record store we checked out in Cork that got us onto the subject of rock operas.  On our next car ride we listened to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”.  It was one of the few times we listened to music in the car.  Most of the time the British-accented Google Maps lady was telling us where to go--”take the slip-road on the left.”  Thank goodness for Google Maps!  It would have been difficult to navigate all of those one-way streets with me driving on the left, using an old-fashioned map...  Anyway, it was a pretty long stretch on a main road to get us to our next destination: the Wicklow Mountains at Glendalough.  The same mountain range extends into Dublin where they’re called the Dublin Mountains.  It was astoundingly beautiful there--and the smells were so fresh and fragrant.  We hiked a very short trail that took about 50 minutes, but it gave us the flavor of the park.  We had lunch at the Glendalough Hotel.  And that reminds me--many of our servers, especially in the Dublin area, were young Eastern Europeans.  Evidently, Ireland is a very popular place to look for better job opportunities, and a better life in general.  We did remark on the fact that we saw very few people of color though.  I want to find out why that is the case.  It does make me wonder about ethnic and religious homogeneity.  Would I have felt such an affinity for Ireland if I weren’t white and culturally Christian?  

On the way down the mountain and back to Dublin, we listened to “Thick as a Brick” by Jethro Tull.  Isabelle had never heard it before.  I thought it had an appropriately Celtic feel, and was loosely in the rock opera genre.  We listened to a few Irish artists as we were making our way back into Dublin in Friday evening traffic.  We checked into our last hotel, did a bit of last-minute souvenir shopping, and ate at a pub with live music.  The two musicians played mostly traditional Irish music, but also included a few American tunes.  It was kind of a fitting transition since we would be heading to the airport in the morning.

I am so grateful that Isabelle was well enough that we could make this trip.  She was a great traveling companion, and our energy levels were very well matched.  We shared a similar idea of the optimum balance between planning and spontaneity.  I’m not sure how to wrap this up except to say: Travel with your adult children!  Go to Ireland in the off-season!  Enjoy the rainbows!

[ilaonmars]

Siamo nell’Ovest dell’Irlanda dove le scogliere sono alte e maestose, le maree dettano il ritmo delle giornate, le spiagge sono fatte di roccia calcarea e gli alberi sono piegati dal vento che spazza via le nuvole. Nella contea di Galway spicca appunto questa città, porto mercantile importantissimo nel Medioevo e ora città giovane e dinamica sede delle maggiori università dell’ovest.

Ho raggiunto Galway dall’aeroporto di Dublino, sbirciando dal finestrino del bus il paesaggio che si faceva sempre più verde e brillante. In due ore e mezza di viaggio non ho mai chiuso occhio, non volevo perdere neanche un dettaglio. Una volta arrivata in città mi sono sentita subito in armonia con questo posto e la sua festosità. Se dovessi usare un aggettivo per descriverla sceglierei sicuramente “festosa” perchè mi ha accolto con allegria e musica per le sue strade, il vociare dei pub già in movimento, odori di ogni genere trasportati da un vento tranquillo.

Via del centro affollatissima

Spanish Arch

Trovata la casa dove avrei passato le tre notti, sono uscita a cenare e a scoprire un po’ di più su questa allegra città così piena di gente. Oltre ai turisti ci sono tantissimi giovani che passano l’anno qui a studiare e altrettanti artisti di strada che si esibiscono ad ogni angolo della città. Passeggiando ho notato che la zona più frequentata è lo Spanish Arch che accoglie le persone lungo la riva del fiume Corrib, piccolo ma potente che proviene dal più grande lago, il Lough Corrib. Lo Spanish Arch è l’unica parte rimasta in piedi delle antiche mura che proteggevano la città e prende questo nome dalle numerose navi spagnole che attraccavano al porto trasportando merci sconosciute agli Irlandesi.

Girare Galway non ruberà più di una giornata ma dedicatele un po’ più di tempo perchè è verso sera che inizia ad animarsi grazie alla gente che affolla le stradine del centro, la musica tradizionale che proviene dai pub vi accompagnerà nella vostra passeggiata e vi invoglierà ad entrare per bere una birra in compagnia.

Le zone più frequentate sono lo Spanish Arch, come vi dicevo prima, e le strade del centro ma cercate anche di uscire un po’ verso zone meno battute e scoprirete i tanti volti di Galway. Dall’altra sponda del Corrib, di fronte allo Spanish Arc, inizia il percorso che arriva fino alla piccolo centro abitato di Salthill: Claddagh Quay. E’ una bellissima passeggiata lungo la baia, io l’ho percorsa la sera del primo giorno in una nuvola di fumo che rendeva l’atmosfera ancora più mistica e particolare alla luce del tramonto. Nelle vicinanze c’era stato un grande incendio ed il fumo era arrivato fino a Galway. Durante il tragitto ho notato tantissime persone fare jogging e altri allenarsi a rugby nei campi o forse era quello sport che giocano solo gli irlandesi: il calcio gaelico, che prevede si una una porta come quella del nostro calcio ma anche due pali oltre la traversa dove viene segnato un altro punto, un po’ come il rugby.

Claddagh

Salmon Weir Bridge

Un’altra bella zona che ho adorato immensamente è quella dove si trova la cattedrale di Galway, fondata nel 1320 e di stampo medievale. La zona è un incrocio di canali, passerelle e ponti circondati dal verde, dallo scroscio dell’acqua e dagli uccelli che pescano nei canali. Dopo la cattedrale passate sul Salmon Weir Bridge, prendete Newtownsmith e salite sul piccolo ponte dal quale si dirama una passeggiata nascosta tra il fiume Corrib ed il Friars. Questa dritta me l’ha data il pescatore di cui ho già parlato altre volte che invece ho incontrato allo sbarramento dei salmoni sul fiume. Ero andata oltre la cattedrale ed ho trovato un bel giardino, il Fisheries Field ed accanto uno stabile che permette ai pescatori di usufruire degli spazi creati appositamente per loro sul fiume e sullo sbarramento; non so se si può entrare, io l’ho fatto e nessuno mi ha detto nulla, quindi prendete questa dritta come non ufficiale. I salmoni risalgono il fiume cercando di arrivare al lago ed è questo il posto dove vengono pescati; mi dispiace un po’ per loro che si fanno un mazzo tanto per arrivare fin lì e poi finiscono al forno ma ehi, quanto è buono il salmone?

Sbarramento sul Corrib

La passerella tra i canali si ricongiunge con il ponte Wolfe Tone Bridge decorato di innumerevoli nastri colorati (alternativa intelligente ai lucchetti), girate a destra subito dopo e costeggiate l’altro canale, l’ Eglinton; passate sui piccoli ponti e godetevi la zona perchè camminando scoprirete tanti piccoli angoli nascosti o zone verdi neanche segnalate dalla mappa.

Un’altra bella zona di Galway che vi consiglio è Eyre Square, un parco abbastanza grande che ho attraversato una volta arrivata alla stazione dei bus per raggiungere il centro. E’ molto curato ma sopratutto è frequentatissimo maggiormente nelle giornate di sole. In queste zone avere una giornata soleggiata è un miracolo quindi appena esce un po’ di sole si catapultano tutti sui prati ad assorbire un po’ di vitamina D.

Eyre Square

Spingetevi anche verso Flood Street e Middle Street meno frequentate sicuramente, ma ho incontrato più gente del posto e avrete uno spaccato della quotidianità di Galway. Inoltre la zona è ricca di negozietti, sale da tea, piccole pasticcerie, ristorantini e pub.

Quello che non manca di certo a Galway è la vivicità delle persone che la popolano, non mi sono mai sentita sola in questo paese, neanche quando uscivo la mattina presto e la città ancora dormiva, solo poche macchine e furgoncini accostati sui marciapiedi che scaricavano la merce da consegnare a ristoranti e pub. C’è sempre stato qualcuno che passeggiava o seduto su una panchina era pronto a raccontarmi perchè il ponte ha tutti quei nastri o quale pub offra la migliora musica irlandese. La gente mi salutava mentre giravo con zaino e macchina fotografica chiedendomi di dove fossi, spesso dopo una breve chiacchierata chiedevano di scattargli una foto, nessuno l’hai mai voluta per se, volevano forse mi rimanesse un ricordo del nostro incontro ma non sanno che io raramente dimentico le persone incontrate durante un viaggio, posso dimenticare i nomi delle strade, gli ingredienti di un piatto assaggiato ma mai il volto di quella persona e quello che ci siamo detti. Ho promesso a Galway che tornerò, gliel’ho promesso mentre percorrevo le sue strade per raggiungere il bus che mi avrebbe condotta a Dublino. Ogni promessa è debito.

Un grazie particolare va anche ai miei host di AirBnb perchè mi hanno fatta sentire una di casa.

Se cercate dei posti dove mangiare a Galway, qui c’è l’articolo dedicato ai piatti ed i locali che mi sono piaciuti di più 😀

Irlanda – Alla scoperta di Galway Siamo nell'Ovest dell'Irlanda dove le scogliere sono alte e maestose, le maree dettano il ritmo delle giornate, le spiagge sono fatte di roccia calcarea e gli alberi sono piegati dal vento che spazza via le nuvole.

[streetsofdublin]

MACNAS HALLOWEEN PARADE IN DUBLIN ON MONDAY 30 OCTOBER [BRAM STOKER FESTIVAL IN DUBLIN ]-133671 by William Murphy Via Flickr: This event was not at all easy to photograph so I decided to have a bit of fun with some of the images. Hopefully the images will give you all a feel for the event. Macnas is a performance company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway, Ireland. Its public performances are noted for exuberance, colour and spectacle. The company has been influential in changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland. Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianised as Halloween by the early Church. Some believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration.

[streetsofdublin]

MACNAS HALLOWEEN PARADE IN DUBLIN ON MONDAY 30 OCTOBER [BRAM STOKER FESTIVAL IN DUBLIN ]-133676 by William Murphy Via Flickr: This event was not at all easy to photograph so I decided to have a bit of fun with some of the images. Hopefully the images will give you all a feel for the event. Macnas is a performance company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway, Ireland. Its public performances are noted for exuberance, colour and spectacle. The company has been influential in changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland. Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianised as Halloween by the early Church. Some believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration.

[streetsofdublin]

MACNAS HALLOWEEN PARADE IN DUBLIN ON MONDAY 30 OCTOBER [BRAM STOKER FESTIVAL IN DUBLIN ]-133670 by William Murphy Via Flickr: This event was not at all easy to photograph so I decided to have a bit of fun with some of the images. Hopefully the images will give you all a feel for the event. Macnas is a performance company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway, Ireland. Its public performances are noted for exuberance, colour and spectacle. The company has been influential in changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland. Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianised as Halloween by the early Church. Some believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration.