In 1621 the inhabitants of the Plymouth settlement and the Wampanoag Indians sat down for a feast to celebrate the autumn harvest. In 1817, New York became the first of many states to officially adopt a thanksgiving day (the parades started much later!). 242 years later, at the height of the Civil War in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving would be observed each November. In 1941 FDR signed a bill stating that the National Holiday of Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November (reversing an order he established in 1939 that moved the day up a week to spur retail sales and returning to the original date established by Lincoln).
Since then Thanksgiving has become a holiday that many in the United States count among their favorites because it is about family coming together to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for in our lives. Many people are driving home, others are slogging through airports and train stations to get home. Others still are taking their families and flying off on vacations to take a break from the traditional Thanksgiving celebrations.
Regardless of where your travels take you, we at Sceptre Tours wish all a safe and happy journey, a joyous Thanksgiving day and a safe return trip back. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The Sceptre Tours Blog - Travel Tips, Deals and Info for Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain & Italy
23 November 2011
21 November 2011
Oíche Chinn Bliana - New Years in Ireland
Most people in America know the traditions of New Years Eve here in the States. If we go out we find a local bar or restaurant (and if you are in NYC you try to find one close to Times Square!), we dress in our best and we wait for the clock to strike midnight. If you stay home you invite over family and friends, you break out the hors d'oeuvres, tune in to New Years Rockin' Eve and wait for the ball to drop. But did you ever wonder what New Years was like in Ireland. You would be surprised at the similarities and may be interested in the possibilities for new experiences.
In Gaelic it is known as Oíche Chinn Bliana and while the goal is to party and the venues are the same, there are some unique experiences and traditions that are worth making the trip for. Starting well before the clock strikes 12, you can take a trip to Achill Island to experience the last sunset in Europe. And if you want to start the new year on Achill you will see a traditional parade with pipers followed by a traditional morning swim in the icy Atlantic Ocean.
Or maybe you would rather experience some more spiritual experiences. Head to the west of Dublin to Dunderry Park to experience a Shamanic New Years Celebration that will have you walking on fire and engaging in a little Trance dance.
Or perhaps you chose to celebrate the new year with some consumer therapy. Shopping in Dublin is key to the locals as the traditional Irish New Years celebration includes purchasing new linens and stocking up on various domestic supplies as they believe this will promise them a fresh start and prosperous New Year.
Sceptre Tours can help you realize your wish to experience New Years in Ireland as well as Christmas in Ireland with two amazing packages at the 5-Star Ritz Carlton Powerscourt that would make wonderful presents for that special someone in your life.
In Gaelic it is known as Oíche Chinn Bliana and while the goal is to party and the venues are the same, there are some unique experiences and traditions that are worth making the trip for. Starting well before the clock strikes 12, you can take a trip to Achill Island to experience the last sunset in Europe. And if you want to start the new year on Achill you will see a traditional parade with pipers followed by a traditional morning swim in the icy Atlantic Ocean.
Or maybe you would rather experience some more spiritual experiences. Head to the west of Dublin to Dunderry Park to experience a Shamanic New Years Celebration that will have you walking on fire and engaging in a little Trance dance.
Or perhaps you chose to celebrate the new year with some consumer therapy. Shopping in Dublin is key to the locals as the traditional Irish New Years celebration includes purchasing new linens and stocking up on various domestic supplies as they believe this will promise them a fresh start and prosperous New Year.
Sceptre Tours can help you realize your wish to experience New Years in Ireland as well as Christmas in Ireland with two amazing packages at the 5-Star Ritz Carlton Powerscourt that would make wonderful presents for that special someone in your life.
15 November 2011
Yuletide on the Emerald Isle
From the Tourism Ireland's October 2011 Ezine Ireland...
In the lead up to this year’s festive season, the Emerald Isle’s newest and biggest event is the 7Up Winter Wonderland, a magical Christmas village set in the picturesque grounds of a park in Dublin, the Irish capital.
This festive extravaganza will run – hail, rain or snow – from 1 December to 8 January 2012 (except Christmas Day). It features Ireland’s largest covered ice rink, a Christmas circus, a giant wheel, top European rides for all ages and tastes, a traditional Christmas market, plus cafes, bars and entertainment. Santa’s Christmas Village is there too, free to enter and excellent fun for all the family.
December is actually a great time to visit Dublin, which is one of the friendliest cities anywhere in the world. Spirits are high, the atmosphere is electric, streets are decked out and heaving. Shoppers bustle along cobbled alleys, stopping for a bit of craic and mingling around the multitude of Christmas markets.
Popular ones are situated in Dublin’s Docklands, Farmleigh House – where Queen Elizabeth II stayed during her recent visit to Ireland – and Fitzwilliam Square, a historic Georgian area in the centre of Dublin. But there are dozens more.
Foodies will love Taste of Christmas, an annual festive food extravaganza taking place between the 25 and 27 November this year at the architecturally spectacular Dublin Convention Centre. Replete with celebrity chefs, tastings of all descriptions, culinary entertainment and inspirational seasonal menus of everything from traditional classics to cutting-edge cuisine, there is plenty to fire the imagination and the taste buds.
And just two hours away in Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland, the food theme continues as the city puts on its wonderful Christmas Continental Market. The fabulous City Hall gardens are transformed into a bustling alpine village providing a great foodie and shop-around-Europe opportunity in the heart of the town famous for giving the world the Titanic.
Northern Ireland’s craft markets and fairs may also hold the answer to shoppers’ Christmas gift quandaries. The province is renowned for its vibrant craft scene and there are literally hundreds of fairs, markets, exhibitions and workshops taking place in the run up to Christmas. They can be a fantastic help in finding that extra special crafty gift.
To read the full story click here. Learn more about Sceptre Tour's magnificent Christmas in Dublin and New Years in Dublin, both at the 5 Star Ritz Carlton in Powerscourt to see if Holidays in the Emerald Isle might be worth putting on your Christmas List!
In the lead up to this year’s festive season, the Emerald Isle’s newest and biggest event is the 7Up Winter Wonderland, a magical Christmas village set in the picturesque grounds of a park in Dublin, the Irish capital.
This festive extravaganza will run – hail, rain or snow – from 1 December to 8 January 2012 (except Christmas Day). It features Ireland’s largest covered ice rink, a Christmas circus, a giant wheel, top European rides for all ages and tastes, a traditional Christmas market, plus cafes, bars and entertainment. Santa’s Christmas Village is there too, free to enter and excellent fun for all the family.
December is actually a great time to visit Dublin, which is one of the friendliest cities anywhere in the world. Spirits are high, the atmosphere is electric, streets are decked out and heaving. Shoppers bustle along cobbled alleys, stopping for a bit of craic and mingling around the multitude of Christmas markets.
Popular ones are situated in Dublin’s Docklands, Farmleigh House – where Queen Elizabeth II stayed during her recent visit to Ireland – and Fitzwilliam Square, a historic Georgian area in the centre of Dublin. But there are dozens more.
Foodies will love Taste of Christmas, an annual festive food extravaganza taking place between the 25 and 27 November this year at the architecturally spectacular Dublin Convention Centre. Replete with celebrity chefs, tastings of all descriptions, culinary entertainment and inspirational seasonal menus of everything from traditional classics to cutting-edge cuisine, there is plenty to fire the imagination and the taste buds.
And just two hours away in Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland, the food theme continues as the city puts on its wonderful Christmas Continental Market. The fabulous City Hall gardens are transformed into a bustling alpine village providing a great foodie and shop-around-Europe opportunity in the heart of the town famous for giving the world the Titanic.
Northern Ireland’s craft markets and fairs may also hold the answer to shoppers’ Christmas gift quandaries. The province is renowned for its vibrant craft scene and there are literally hundreds of fairs, markets, exhibitions and workshops taking place in the run up to Christmas. They can be a fantastic help in finding that extra special crafty gift.
To read the full story click here. Learn more about Sceptre Tour's magnificent Christmas in Dublin and New Years in Dublin, both at the 5 Star Ritz Carlton in Powerscourt to see if Holidays in the Emerald Isle might be worth putting on your Christmas List!
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