Bliadhna Mhath Ùr dhuibh uile! – Happy New Year to you all!
And Happy Hogmanay!

Below are scenes from Hogmanay around Scotland from previous years for you to enjoy. May all your fires burn brightly throughout the year.

Something to think about: Scottish customs of the new year contain messages that can be relevant to how we think about entering 2018. While bonfires celebrate the lengthening of daylight and thus the “return” of the sun, in our own lives, we can use fire to call forth the light and passion within each of us, calling us to be our best selves in the months to come. By our own candles or fires, we can decide what goals for spiritual and personal growth we will set for ourselves, and link ourselves to our heritage and ancestors.

And even the ancient custom of first footing – the belief that a tall, dark, handsome stranger coming to your door the first thing after midnight of the New Year brings good fortune to the household. The idea of first footing is that the first person who comes through your door indicates the character of your New Year. On the one hand, by offering hospitality to the visitor you begin your year with a generosity of spirit. On the other hand, we can  consciously choose what we admit through the front door, then open that door with great intention and greet it!

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Burning of the Clavie photographs Copyright Anne Burgess/www.geograph.org.uk

A typical Baltimore Gaelic School céilidh and class:

Yesterday Gaelic learners gathered at O’Flynn’s in Baltimore City for our autumn cèilidh.  Given the time of year, the theme was Oidhche Shamhna – Halloween, the end of summer, the eve of November, the eve of winter.

Sgoil Ghàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhóir teacher, Scott Morrison, led a fascinating discussion around the Gaelic Fairy tradition.  Do you know your Fairy lore?

Two participants recited the first two verses of the poem Air Oidhche na Samhna bidh ann, after which Scott recited many more verses with everyone chanting the chorus. Originally a wauking song, probably from the late 19th century, The poem is filled with Scottish Oidhche Shamhna traditions.

If you want to take a crack at it, here is the poem: Air Oidhche na Samhna bidh ann.docx

Or, for something simpler, this fun book, Oidhche Shamhna, that one of our classes is reading.  It was written and illustrated by young school children in the Hebrides in the 1980s: Oidhche Shamhna

Everyone shared stories of their ancestors, funny and serious, and we learned a lot of new things about each others while honoring those who walked those long roads of our heritage.

We were in a bar, so why not play cards?  For instance, this group below in a game of Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) Uno.

And then the sharing of songs and poetry.  Below you can hear one of the participants, Duncan, singing Cànan nan Gàidheal, written by Murchadh MacPharlain. It’s only a portion of the song, the quality isn’t great, and music from another part of the pub was coming through, but you can still hear what a beautiful voice this young man has.

We need to thank Liam Flynn for creating such an ideal Irish pub as O’Flynn’s, his hospitality in making the pub a home to many Celtic groups, and his commitment to Gaelic.

Everyone!

Mark the 17th of December on your calendars
and join us for our next cèilidh, again, at O’Flynn’s.

Tha sinn a’ dèanamh fiughar gus am faic mi sibh uile!
(We are looking forward to seeing all of you!)

Sgoil Ghàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhóir is excited to announce a new online class in Scottish Gaelic for complete beginners.  As the existing class of beginner learners has moved on to a more advanced beginner status we found the need to re-establish a class starting from step one that would address the needs of the newest learners joining our community as well as some just returning to study.  The new class will also be taught by our teacher, Scott Morrison.

As with our other online classes, we are currently using Skype.  Participation requires that students have a Skype alias and a microphone on their computer.  Your Skype alias will have to be provided before your first class.

Also,as with our other classes, the text we are using in the new class is Teach Yourself: Complete Gaelic, by Boyd Robertson and Iain Taylor, supplemented with lessons from Taic.

The fee for the class is also the same: $10 per class, with tuition payments made in increments of $30 (3 classes).

Classes are every two weeks on Friday afternoons, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm.

For complete information on classes go to the Class Schedule page.

To register, or for more information contact: Richard Gwynallen at richard.gwynallen@gmail.com

Cèilidh Oidhche Shamhna

Sunday, 29 October
DiDòmhnaich, 29mh An Dàmhair
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tri uairean feasgar – Sia uairean feasgar
O’Flynn’s
3432 S. Hanover Street, Baltimore, Maryland

Tha am foghar ann a bheireas an samhradh gu crìch agus a dh’fhosglas an geamhradh. (The autumn is here which brings the summer to an end and opens the winter.)

A new year in the Celtic calendar is upon us, and we are gathering with song, story, food, and drink to welcome Oidhche Shamhna (Halloween/Eve of November) in the warm, convivial environment of Baltimore’s Best Irish bar.

Thigibh ann cuide ruinn! (Join us!)

Aig a’ chèilidh (At the céilidh)

• Gaelic Immersion session – Build your Gaelic through conversation
• The Gaelic Fairy Tradition – A presentation and discussion by Scott MacIlleMhoire (Morrison) on the lore, origins, and lessons of the Fairy tradition among the Gaels.  What could be better as we approach Oidhche Shamhna and the veil between the worlds is thinnest?
• Sharing of songs, stories, music, and poetry  – Learn some songs as we sing together and bring your own tunes, poems, stories or songs to share (in Gaelic or otherwise).  Some will reflect the time of year and the Gaelic traditions of the season.

Our céilidhean are rooted in the traditional Highland céilidh as an intimate, informal gathering where stories, poems, songs, news, and more are shared; good food and drink are partaken of (a guarantee with the O’Flynn’s kitchen); and the craic is always good.

If you are interested in Gaelic culture and language, we would love for you to come.  You do not have to be a participant in any of our study groups (though you are very welcome to join).  We will be practicing our Gaelic, but everyone will feel comfortable, whether you have any Gaelic or not.

Please RSVP to richard.gwynallen@gmail.com

Chì sinn uile aig a’ chèilidh sibh! (We’ll see you all at the cèilidh)

A chairidean chóir,

Schedule changes this autumn are continuing to firm up.  First, our long standing Gaelic Conversation Session is switching the Wednesday evenings it meets.  These are informal opportunities to practice our basic Gaelic in the warm environment of O’Flynn’s pub on Hanover Street in Baltimore, with access to plenty of good drink and food.  Our next session will be held on Wednesday, 27 September, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, and continued every two weeks.

Second, we are opening a new intermediate online Gaelic class, which will start meeting on Wednesday, 20 September, 6:00pm – 7:00 pm, and continue every two weeks.  The class is using the same text and web-based learning site used in the beginner class, plus additional material.

Please see our class schedule for full information. Thigibh ann cuide ruinn!

Suas Leis a’ Ghàidhlig!

A chairidean chóir,

It was a busy spring and summer around Sgoil Ghàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhóir.  We had a tent at two Celtic festivals, new students have come on board, we had a wonderful picnic cèilidh in association with Gàidhlig Photomac, and our teacher, Scott Morrison, was out of the country with family in Australia.

Online classes are re-opening this month. The first beginner session of the new season is on Thursday, 21 September, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to join the beginner session.

For full information on our classes, check out our Class Schedule page.

We hope you can join us for the classes and céilidhean.

Suas Leis a’ Ghàidhlig!
Up with the Gaelic!

Our céilidhean are rooted in the traditional Highland céilidh as an intimate, informal gathering where stories, poems, songs, news, and more are shared; good food and drink are partaken of; and the craic is always good.

We usually hold our céilidhean in private homes, but this céilidh on the 20th of August is being held at O’Flynn’s at 3432 S. Hanover Street in Baltimore to make use of Liam’s kitchen for a Cooking in the Kitchen Gaelic Immersion Session.  Also, so folks can attend the Irish Traditional Music Session at O’Flynn’s before the ceilidh gets underway.

Usually the céilidh is pot luck, but this time we’ll have the benefit of O’Flynn’s great menu.

So, the order of the day will be:

2:00 pm – Irish Traditional Music Session

Come early to play or just listen.

3:00 pm – Còcaireachd anns a’ Chidsin: Cooking in the Kitchen Gaelic Immersion Session

Our céilidhean always include an immersion session before we get down to the sharing.  After the successful hiking immersion session in June where we tied the language to the land, Liam Flynn suggested doing the same in the kitchen.

We’ll be making oatcakes together!

4:00 pm – Cultural Presentation and Sharing

We’ll be learning and singing some wauking songs, but come with song, stories, poems, or anything else you want to share.  If they are in Gaelic all the better.  But they don’t have to be.

Feel free to eat and drink during the sharing.

6:00 pm – Officially the céilidh will be over, but please stay and eat, drink, and talk.

Message from our teacher of the Gàidhlig, Scott Morrison:

Our céilidhean are rooted in the traditional Highland céilidh as an intimate,informal gathering where stories, poems, songs, news, and more are shared; good food and drink are partaken of; and the craic is always good.

We usually hold our céilidhean in private homes, but the next céilidh on the 20th of August is moving to O’Flynn’s at 3432 S. Hanover Street in Baltimore to make use of Liam’s kitchen for a Cooking in the Kitchen Gaelic Immersion Session.  Also, so folks can attend the Irish Traditional Music Session at O’Flynn’s before the ceilidh gets underway.

Usually the céilidh is pot luck, but this time we’ll have the benefit of O’Flynn’s great menu.

So, the order of the day will be:

2:00 pm – Irish Traditional Music Session

Come early to play or just listen.

3:00 pm – Còcaireachd anns a’ Chidsin: Cooking in the Kitchen Gaelic Immersion Session

Our céilidhean always include an immersion session before we get down to the sharing.  After the successful hiking immersion session in June where we tied the language to the land, Liam Flynn suggested doing the same in the kitchen.

4:00 pm – Cultural Presentation and Sharing

Some songs will be taught, but come with song, stories, poems, or anything else you want to share.  If they are in Gaelic all the better.  But they don’t have to be.

Feel free to eat and drink during the sharing.

6:00 pm – Officially the céilidh will be over, but please stay and eat, drink, and talk.