Thursday 5 July 2012

Laa Tinvaal

A happy Laa Tinvaal to you all: It's Tynwald Day on the Isle of Man today, and for me it heralds the close of the Midsummer festivities. As last year, the BBC are live-streaming the celebrations, which sees a great procession to the church of St John the Baptist, where a service is held, and parliament is held in the open air, where the laws enacted by Manx parliament in the previous year are read out in both Manx and English.

According to the Beeb the celebrations this year include a focus on Manx history and culture for young people:
National Day celebrations in the Isle of Man will focus on giving youngsters the chance to learn something new, the president of Tynwald has said. 
Clare Christian said Tynwald Day activities included music sessions and circus workshops in acrobatics and tightrope walking. 
Local artists will also run a series of classes on Manx music and art. 
Mrs Christian said: "The emphasis is firmly on young people with exciting opportunities."

No specific mention of language I notice; such a shame. Sadly not surprising, though.