Did you know?
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Today, October 6th is:
Ivy Day
October 6 is the anniversary of the death of
Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891), the famous Irish statesman and
leader of the Home Rule Party. He entered the House of Commons when he
was only 29 and quickly established a reputation for hostility to
England and all things English. He became a hero to the Irish poor,
many of whom would try to touch his clothes or kiss his hands and knees
when he walked through a crowd.
Parnell fell out of public favor somewhat when he became involved in
a divorce case in 1890, and the trauma of rejection by so many of his
countrypeople is thought to have contributed to his early death in
1891. But he is a symbol of Irish pride and independence, and his name
appears frequently in Irish literature, particularly the poetry of
William Butler Yeats and the short story in James Joyce’s Dubliners called “Ivy Day in the Committee Room.”
It is somewhat ironic that the sprig of green ivy traditionally worn
on this day—chosen by Parnell himself as an emblem— is a color he
apparently intensely disliked. From Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary |
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