Nova Scotia

Not one, but two Gaelic flag-raising ceremonies in downtown Halifax to mark Mìos na Gàidhlig – Gaelic Awareness Month – in the province of Nova Scotia! Photos and videos from April 27, 2016.

What’s it like to attend a Scottish Gaelic milling frolic in Halifax, Nova Scotia? I’ll “waulk” you through it (pun intended) with videos and photos!

Brìghde, Bríde, Breeshey, Brigid or St. Bridget is a saint not only of Ireland, but also of Scottish and Manx Gaels. Her feast day is February 1st and signals the return of spring. Here I explore some of her Gaelic traditions and suggest some ways to celebrate the eve of her feast day at home on January 31st.

I love the controlled chaos of a children’s Christmas pageant. Nothing ever goes exactly how it’s supposed to, but it’s always hilarious and heart-warming. In 2011 I wrote a Gaelic nativity play for Gaelic learners, motivated by the desire to integrate more family activities into the Gaelic events calendar.

I wrote and delivered a Gaelic message (or lay sermon) for an ecumenical Gaelic church service at the Log Cabin Church in Loch Broom, Pictou County, Nova Scotia in August 2012. It explains how Gaelic speakers might want to rethink our concept of a “Gaelic family.” Although my message was directed toward Christian attendees, the secular aspect of the message may also be interesting for non-Christian readers.

Earlier this year, I helped to create and deliver a training session on Scottish Gaelic language & culture awareness for the Harbourside Area of the Nova Scotia Council of Girl Guides of Canada. This post gives a bit of the back story on that session, and makes our training materials available to readers as a free download. The materials include activities for children and fact sheets for adult leaders.

Gaels in Scotland and Nova Scotia don’t tend to know a lot about each other, unless they’ve actually visited each other’s home turf. There are a lot of similarities, but also some significant differences! Here is the second half of my top ten list with #5 through #1 of the top ten differences between Gaelic in Nova Scotia and Scotland from a Nova Scotian perspective.

Gaels in Scotland and Nova Scotia don’t tend to know a lot about each other. When they actually visit each other’s home turf, they find many similarities, but also a few surprises. So in a spirit of education and understanding, I’ve created a list of the top ten differences between Gaelic in Nova Scotia and Scotland, from a Nova Scotian perspective. Here is the first half of the list, Part One.