"Commemorating the life and legend of Irish writer James Joyce on Bloomsday, every June 16, we take a moment to honor and celebrate all we’ve gained from his works. The significance of June 16 is taken from his 1922 novel, “Ulysses,” which takes place on June 16, 1904, and follows a day in the life of the story’s protagonist (Leopold Bloom). It is also the day Joyce went on his first date with his then wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle. Either way, National Bloomsday commemorates these two occasions every year on June 16. The story of Leopold Bloom is recognized as one of the most important works of modernist literature and has been largely considered a catalyst for the entire movement. Today, people in Ireland and Joyce fans around the world celebrate with festivals, readings, dramatizations, pub crawls, and more to honor a man who changed literature forever." -National Today
"Bloomsday celebrates Thursday, June 16th, 1904, the day immortalised in James Joyce’s 1922 novel Ulysses. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, one of the novel’s protagonists. The novel follows Bloom’s life and thoughts (as well as those of Stephen Dedalus and a host of other characters, real and fictional) from 8 AM through to the early hours of the following morning.
Bloomsday celebrations come in many different forms, including readings, performances, reenactments, tours, exhibitions, lectures, children’s events, a film festival, and a host of other festivities. One noticeable feature is that people will dress up like the characters in Edwardian fashion. One of the hallmark dress items found on the streets of Dublin that day is the straw boater hat, a fashionable and iconic summer hat donned by many at the time — including none other than Joyce himself — as well as the iconic bowler hat donned by Bloom and his contemporaries.
Bloomsday is celebrated by Joyceans and admirers of literature across the globe. It is one of Dublin’s largest festivals, boasting nearly 100 separate events throughout the city and drawing in thousands of visitors from around the world. Given the scope and focus of a particular novel and city, Bloomsday is unparalleled in the world as a literary and cultural festival." -Bloomsday Festival
Born February 2, 1882, Dublin, Ireland, and died January 13, 1941, Zürich, Switzerland; was an Irish novelist noted for his experimental use of language and exploration of new literary methods in such large works of fiction as Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans Wake (1939). Joyce is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
Although James Joyce grew up in Dublin, as an adult he lived mostly in Trieste, Italy, in Zürich, and in Paris.
James Joyce was the eldest of 10 children, and his father did not earn a stable living. Joyce began living with Nora Barnacle in 1904 and married her in 1931. Nora was the model for the character Molly Bloom in Ulysses. They had two children: a son, Giorgio, born in 1905, and a daughter, Lucia, born in 1907. -Britannica
Now, no one expects you to fly all the way to Ireland to celebrate (but if you do, take me with you). So here are some ways you can join in the festivities online:
Want to do a little traveling this summer? Here are the events closest to Iowa:
There are far more events happening in the United States and the World, so if you'd like to learn about these places, take a look HERE.
