An impromptu group performs at at a céilidh at Féis Shiàtail 2004.

There was once a world without television and the internet

In the world before television and the internet, when people turned to each other for companionship, information and entertainment, traditions evolved in every culture to enshrine that social relationship and keep it strong.

Among Gaelic-speaking people, it was called a céilidh. In the Winter months, when there was less work to do on the croft and long nights, people would meet at one or more house in a village and spend the evening singing, telling stories and sharing news.

A' chiad sgeulachd bho Fear an Taighe agus sgeulachdan gu latha bho'n cach!

The head of the household, either the Fear an Taighe (man of the house) or Bean an Taighe (woman of the house), was expected to referee the proceedings. Custom held that she or he would sing the first song or tell the first story and that the assembled company would take over until dawn.

Ummm. I don't live in a village.

No problem! The traditions of the céilidh have evolved over time to meet the needs of the day. Gaelic people and their descendants have spread throughout the world. There are Scottish and Gaelic-themed organizations in every large city, in every country. Chances are you've been within a few miles of a céilidh and not even known it.

Céilidhs also regularly happen now at folk harp conferences, thanks to the tireless propaganda educational efforts of leading lights in the Pacific Northwest Folk Harp Society, including Seumas.

Slighe nan Gaidheal members cheer the camera at a First Footing céilidh in 2008.

Wrapping it All Up

At the end of the night, something happens that you might not expect. Everyone who as made it to the end holds hands in a circle and sings a final song before departing. What song they sing depends entirely on where you are. In the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, people sing Oidhche Mhath Leibh (good night to you). In un-Gaelic areas, they tend to sing Auld Lang Syne. If you're at a céilidh in Seattle, though, you'll be singing Chí mi na Móbheanna, like it or not.

And you'll like it. Trust me.