A céilidh (Irish pronunciation: [ˈceːlʲiː], Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [ˈcʰeːli], English pronunciation: /ˈkeɪli/) (in modern usage) is a traditional Gaelic social dance originating in Ireland and Scotland, but now common throughout the Celtic diaspora. Other spellings encountered are ceilidh, céilí (Irish reformed spelling) and cèilidh (Scottish Gaelic reformed spelling). Before discos and nightclubs, there were céilidhs in most town and vil...
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A céilidh (Irish pronunciation: [ˈceːlʲiː], Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [ˈcʰeːli], English pronunciation: /ˈkeɪli/) (in modern usage) is a traditional Gaelic social dance originating in Ireland and Scotland, but now common throughout the Celtic diaspora. Other spellings encountered are ceilidh, céilí (Irish reformed spelling) and cèilidh (Scottish Gaelic reformed spelling). Before discos and nightclubs, there were céilidhs in most town and village halls on Friday or Saturday nights; they are still common today.
Originally, a ceilidh was a social gathering of any sort, and did not necessarily involve dancing.
In more recent decades, the dancing portion of the event has usurped the older meanings of the term.
Céilidhs facilitated courting and prospects of marriage for young people and, although discos and nightclubs have displaced céilidhs to a considerable extent, they are still an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Ireland and Scotland, especially in the Gaelic...
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