Bloomsday is commemorated every year to remember and pay tribute to the Irish novelist James Augustine Aloysius Joyce. The occasion is observed in Dublin and elsewhere on June 16. Bloomsday 2022 falls on Thursday. The particular date in June is chosen because of its reference to the 1922 novel, 'Ulysses', written by James Joyce. The novel is considered one of the most important works of modernist literature. The book has a storyline of the protagonist Leopold Bloom whose day starts on the date of June 16, 1904. It is also the day Joyce went on his first date with his then wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle. In short, Bloomsday was the day when James had his very first romantic assignment. To know more about the exciting occasion and how people celebrate it, read the piece till the end. 10 Interesting Things About James Joyce and Ulysses You Should Know to Celebrate This Day.

Bloomsday History

Some publications refer to the English compound word Bloomsday as La Bloom. The annual occasion is named after the central character in the famous novel 'Ulysses'. The novel follows the life plot and thoughts of Leopold Bloom and a host of other characters. Joyce started writing the Modernist novel in the year 1914, and after it was published in 1922, the writer's friends began to mark the date of June 16 as Bloomsday.

Bloomsday Celebration & Significance

People in Ireland and Joyce's followers worldwide celebrate with festivals, visiting the places and establishments referenced in the book, reading, pub crawls, dramatization, exploring facts about the novelist, and dressing up as characters from the book. Some folks even mark the occasion by styling as per the then era and wearing Bloomsday's hallmark fancy dress item, the straw boater hat. Some people eat breakfast on the morning of Bloomsday, just like Leopold, who had liver and kidneys alongside the typical ingredients of an Irish fried meal. Furthermore, hard-core devotees have even held marathon readings of the entire novel.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2022 02:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).