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Category: Celebrations (Page 3 of 5)

Photo of a beatles sculpture for Blog Post on Global Beatles Day

Global Beatles Day

25/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

Global Beatles Day

June 25th

Good morning, Good morning, Twist and shout! it’s the 25th of June. So grab your magical mystery tour ticket to ride, because it’s Global Beatles Day. Furthermore, there’s not a blue meanie insight. So whether you’re a beautiful dreamer or day tripper. Take a swift step back in musical time to find out more about Global Beatles Day.

Can you dig it?

This unofficial holiday is an opportunity for people from all around the world to come together and celebrate the lasting impact the Beatles have had on music history, pop culture and the lives of generations of music lovers. The Band is regarded as the most influential group of all time, a leader of the era’s youth and social movements and influenced the counterculture of the 1960s.

Their experimentation with recording techniques and musical styles resulted in popular music being accepted as an art form. They revolutionised numerous areas of the music industry through pioneering recording techniques, songwriting and artistic presentation. So, if you’re a fan, or you’ve never heard of the Beatles, now’s the perfect time to delve into their work.

The back story: A beginning almost like it was Yesterday:

In 1956 the Band came to the attention of Brian Epstein, a local Liverpool record store manager. He saw their talent and potential for mass appeal. It wasn’t long before the world would be introduced to the Beatles, and the frenzy-based mania they would cause, which UK press aptly went on to call Beatlemania. But first, the band needed a recording deal, which was secured with Parlophone, a subsidiary of the giant EMI group of music labels.

Do you want to know a secret?

Once signed with Parlophone, George Martin became the band’s producer. He was referred to as the fifth Beatle, because of his in-depth involvement with each of the Beatle’s original Albums. Also, he suggested firing drummer Pete Best, who’d been part of the group since 1960. Subsequently replacing him with Ringo Starr, who was a more seasoned drummer.

The boys were also fondly referred to as the Fab 4: Though Lennon and McCartney had been performing together since 1957, with various individuals and changing band names from Quarry Men to the Silver Beatles. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison recorded together for the first time in 1962.

I’ve got a feeling:

Try to act naturally, but the fans just couldn’t, the mayhem the band caused just by being present here, there and everywhere brought with it an unprecedented level of chaos. The band first appeared on British Television in 1963 and Brain Epstein’s hunch about the band’s mass appeal was correct. Additionally, their songs, popularity and influence made them the centre of attention and admiration for the hopes and dreams of a generation, that came of age in the 60s, and had something to say.

Getting better

A year later they took the states by storm, appearing on American Television and flying high in pop culture. The level of their popularity is encapsulated in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night

Here Comes The Sun:

Notably, June 25, 1967, was seen as the pinnacle of “The Summer of Love”, and saw the first-ever live global satellite television link to 26 countries worldwide, broadcasting the BBC’s Our World programme to an audience of 400 million viewers. With none other than the Beatles attending to perform “All you need is Love”. It was for this very reason the first Global Beatles Day was celebrated on June 25th 2009, by Beatles fan Faith Cohen. Faith referred to the idea as “a thank you or love letter to The Beatles”. This idea proved to be a popular means by which fans worldwide, old and new, continue to connect and celebrate the musical legacy of the Beatles.

Goodbye, the end:

I guess all things must pass, and this is where I must leave you. The band formally broke up in 1970. The group members did go on to have solo hits and collaborate with other artists. But don’t let this stop you, because, like many people worldwide, you can listen to the Beatles anytime at all. There’s a wealth of information out there on the band and its members.

If you’re a student or lecturer check out bob (Box of Broadcasts) to watch some of the Beatle’s films or documentaries like:

  • A Hard Day’s night
  • Help!
  • Magical Mystery Tour
  • The Yellow Submarine
Just for fun

If you had to pick 3 of your favourite Beatles songs which, would they be?

Having read the blog, did you spot The Beatles song titles hidden in the text, what are they? and how many are there?

By Mo Almas

——

Thinking about studying a music course, why not look at what Napier University has to offer in Music study

Read more on our blog with articles like:

Image SOurce: Photo by Fedor on Unsplash

image of The Kelpies sculpture at Falkirk for blog post International Faerie Day

International Faerie Day

24/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

International Faerie Day: A Scottish History

So, before we go any further. One thing…don’t call them Faeries! For they most certainly do not like it. Fair folk is fine but remember to show the utmost respect as they enjoy playing tricks on humans and take very badly to perceived slights. Though there is the odd kind faerie, most of them are mischievous at best, and terrifying at worst.

Scotland and Faerie History

In Scotland, Fairies are traditionally called Seelie or Unseelie from the word ‘seilie’ in Scots, which means Happy or Lucky (source). Also known by the fair folk, elevs, good people and many other names. In Gaelic they were called Daoine Sith meaning ‘people of peace’ (not because they were peaceful mind, but as an act of fearful respect).[1] In Gaidhealtachd, the Scots Gaelic oral storytelling tradition they were called the “still folk” or “silently moving people,” spelt SITH and pronounced SHEE [2].

We have mentions of them throughout the last 1000 years of recorded history, which is pretty incredible. Some of our earliest sources are from poems like Thomas the Rhymer, Tam Lin and The Elfin Knight.

Protection

Throughout Scottish History, there are many records of Faeries being blamed for people’s misfortune, from crops failing and cream curdling to lost children.

To protect themselves superstitions grew around how to protect oneself. Wearing rowan berries or decorating your home with them was one. Carrying Iron was another. There were also the acts of Saining or maistir. Saining involves the burning pine cones or metal-imbued water being sprinkled over a new mother and her child. Maistir, a rather more unpleasant choice involved stale urine. This was placed on windows and doors to keep out Faeries…and everyone else probably [3].

It was believed that every source of water from a well to a loch had its own Faerie protector. One must appease these protectors with gifts and respect. This is perhaps why we find so many precious items from the past in them.

Famous Scottish Fair Folk

Apart from Nessie, is any other creature more famous in Scotland now than The Kelpies? The stunning sculptures pay homage to a terrifying creature, half man, half horse. Said to trick the unwary into rides on his back, only to drag them into the water and drown them. Gulp!

The sad tales of Selkies are another well-spun story. Beautiful creatures who take on human form when they remove their seal-like skin. Humans would fall in love with them and trap them by hiding their skins. Preventing the Selkies from returning to their homes. These tales always end in heartbreak when the Selkie finally frees itself and returns to the water where it belongs.

A lesser-known being (I only heard about them when researching this article!) is the Scottish Faerie Vampire. Baobhan Sith. Known to devour their male victims and take their hearts [4].

Not that they were all bad! Wee sprites and Brownies would favour children and help them out in times of peril. The well-known Ghillie Dhu or Gille Dubh was thought to be a kindly sort, devoted to children.

Places to visit

One of the best places for Faerie fun in Scotland is the Isle of Skye. With its well-known Fairy Pools and  Fairy Glen. Take a brave dip in a pool and see who you might meet! or wander the glen just as dusk falls and keep your eyes open.

Although not actual Kelpies thank goodness, Scotland’s stunning sculptural artwork of them is well worth a visit. Also, whenever you are on the coast keep your eyes peeled for both Selkies and Kelpies, but don’t get too close.

No matter where you are in the Scottish countryside, you will find faerie circles hidden in woods or mystical glens to wander through. Just keep your wits about you or you could disappear into the faerie court for 100 years in the blink of an eye!

By Juliet Kinsey

Library Resources

Read more about the subject of Faeries on Librarysearch.napier.ac.uk.

How about this article by Moir Marquis, Otherworld Here: On the Ecological Possibilities of Faeries

or this book: The Virtue of Temperance in the Faerie Queene

To learn about all things fairytale and Celtic, read The Golden Bough.

Why not learn more about History in our blog post on May Day?

References

[1]Henderson, L. & Cowan, E.J., 2001. Scottish fairy belief: a history, East Linton: Tuckwell Press

[2] & [3] https://www.guide-collective.com/gc-magazine/fairies-the-still-folk-of-scotland

[4] https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15583075.scottish-myths-legends-vampire-fairies-shape-shifting-selkies-loch-ness-monster/

Sources

https://www.scotland.com/blog/faeries-in-scottish-folklore/

https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/stories/fairy-belief-fairy-tales-scotland

https://www.guide-collective.com/gc-magazine/fairies-the-still-folk-of-scotland

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15583075.scottish-myths-legends-vampire-fairies-shape-shifting-selkies-loch-ness-monster/

https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/mythical-scotland-exploring-the-legends/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghillie_Dhu

 

Can music improve your wellbeing and health? Blog post Image of headphones

World Music Day 2023 🎵

21/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

World Music Day 2023: Fête de la Musique

Is there anything better than when your favourite song comes on? Whatever grey clouds are there, good music brings a little bit of sunshine. And that’s what World Music Day 2023 🎵 is all about.  An annual celebration that occurs every 21st of June, originating in France.

The first ever World Music Day took place in Paris in 1982, organised by the Minister of Culture for France. Its objective was to promote music by encouraging amateur and professional musicians to perform in the streets and organising free concerts to make more music accessible. Since it first began, over 130 countries have taken part in celebrations, as well as over 1000 cities worldwide.

Why not try out some World music events right here in Edinburgh this summer! Check out what’s on here.

Resources for World Music Day 2023 🎵

The library has a wide range of musical databases that celebrate musical talent which you can find at our LibGuides

Or search for the vast amount of music scores and CDs available through LibrarySearch 

And of course, our Spotify account!

SO why not spend this day wrapped up in music? Listen to all your favourite songs and dance like no one is watching!

By Maya Green

Find out more about what the Library has to offer over the summer here.

Photo by C D-X on Unsplash

Blossom marking June

June Solstice

21/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

June Solstice

Did you wake this morning at 04:26? I did.* I rose with the sun in celebration of the longest day of the year. I bathed my face in the fresh, morning dew, ready to enjoy the summer solstice – the day when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly excursion relative to the celestial equator.  In our northern hemisphere, the area north of the Arctic will receive a full 24 hours of sunlight, while areas south of the Antarctic circle will have a full day of total darkness.

Nearer home, today we will enjoy a full 17 hours, 36 minutes and 24 seconds of daylight. Solar noon, if you want to time your lunch hour precisely, occurs at 13:14. The sun sets tonight at 22:02. It’s all downhill tomorrow when we lose a full three seconds of light and start the gradual journey to autumn.

Solstice through time

The changing of the seasons has been marked throughout history in literature and cultural symbolism. In the north we tend to light fires to mark winter events, but the ancient Celts, Slavs and Germans celebrated summer with bonfires. They believed that fire had the power to enhance the sun’s energy and ensure a good harvest. Bonfires could also banish evil spirits, they believed.

In ancient Greece, summer marked the new year and the build-up to the Olympic Games. It was also a time when slaves could temporarily turn the tables on their masters.

How are you celebrating the longest day? With a picnic in the park, or a walk along the beach? Maybe a barbecue with family and friends? However you celebrate, we wish you a long, happy summer full of sunshine and warmth. Go on – have an ice-cream.

Solstice Poem

We’ll leave you with some lines from Edinburgh writer Alexander McCall Smith’s poem, Summer:

“May soft winds blow about your head,

May sun caress your tender cheeks

May tears of gentle rain then wash

The marks of fretful care away.”

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/summer-2/

*That is a lie. I didn’t.

Read about what the libraries are during this summer

Photo source Joseph R

Pride flag

Pride 2023

09/06/2023 / / 0 Comments

Pride 2023

It’s Pride 2023.

June is here, Pride is here. Happy Pride Month everyone!!!

Our libraries are all decorated to celebrate Pride. We ‘pride’ ourselves on being an inclusive and welcoming space for all our staff and students. At the library, we want to avoid tokenism. We are working hard to diversify our collections to be inclusive and more representative.

Please get in touch if you have any feedback about our Library stock.

Library Support

The Library has a wealth of books and articles on the subject. We have a dedicated reading list over on our LibGuides. Reading includes the history of LGBTQ+ rights and the current Legal information to keep you informed. Use LibrarySearch to find what you are looking for, or contact us for help with any of your research needs.  Or you can check out our virtual bookshelf here at the blog.

Edinburgh Napier University Support

If you are an LGBTQ+ student you can join Edinburgh Napier’s LGBTQ+ Society or find out more about the student LGBTQ+ community on the Queer Napier site. Staff can join the University’s thriving LGBTQ+ Network or visit our web pages to learn more about becoming an ally.

Pride and Edinburgh

Pride March will take place on June 24th, starting at 12.30 pm at the Scottish Parliament.

You can find out more information at Pride Edinburgh

And you can find more information on more Pride events taking place on the city.

photo of carnival ride in Edinburgh

Scotland’s Gala Days

25/05/2023 / / 0 Comments

Scotland’s Gala Days

 

Scotland’s Gala Days take place in the months of May and June. A Scottish tradition of gala weeks in full swing. It’s a time for towns to get together and celebrate their history and culture. There will be sports days, horse-riding, fancy-dress. And don’t forget float parades with pipe and brass bands. And almost always there will be a gala queen who will be crowned. The queen, her maids or attendants and sometimes a king are usually chosen from primary 7 pupils. It’s seen as a rite of passage before moving on to secondary school. The queen is crowned by a lady of importance in the community such as a councillor or sometimes by the previous year’s queen. Often the homes of the queen and her entourage were decorated with colourful arches, but in recent years some families have really gone to town with their home displays!

The celebrations vary across the regions. In the central belt gala weeks were very often associated with the coal mining communities such as Newtongrange.  Gala celebrations took place to mark successful wins for workers’ rights or to raise some cheer during tough economic times. The first gala day in Scotland is thought to have been held in 1770 in Loanhead. When miners – and their children – from the Dryden Colliery were invited to a feast to celebrate the birthday of the landowner, Lord Lockhart of Carnwath. Now most have set weeks each year so as not to coincide with neighbouring towns and will have a wide range of events for all the family.

Gala Days in the borders

In the Borders towns such as Hawick and Selkirk the week is all about the common riding. This involves “ride outs” around the town borders, re-enacting the old medieval practice for the local lord or clan leader to appoint a leading townsperson. They would then ride the clan’s boundaries, or “marches”, to protect their lands and prevent reivers from stealing cattle. Today a local young man will be elected to lead the common riding. Often called the cornet lad he has a lass to accompany him. And some towns such as Lockerbie also have sports days, fancy dress competitions and of course a queen.

Gala Days on the coasts

Coastal community gala weeks (such as Newhaven and Stromness) celebrate their connections to fishing with some of the queens arriving by boat to be crowned. There will often be water-based events such as raft races as well as the usual fancy dress competitions and sports days.

Hopefully you will be able to get along to a gala week event and let’s hope for good weather for all Scotland’s gala days.

Use Library Search to find books and journal articles on events, social history and Scottish traditions.

Search on You Tube to view footage of old gala weeks, and common riding events.

Photo source Michelle Henderson

You can read more about Scottish Traditions like Burns Night

Westminster Abbey with blue sky backdrop

King Charles III’s Coronation

11/05/2023 / / 0 Comments

King Charles III’s Coronation

On Saturday it was the coronation of King Charles III. Millions around the world will be watching the ceremony taking place at Westminster Abbey. Charles was be the 40th monarch crowned at the Abbey since 1066.

The coronation ceremony simply put is the crowning ceremony, where the St Edward’s crown will be bestowed upon Charles’s head. The crown was designed and made for King Charles II in 1661. It is made of solid gold, contains more than 444 precious stones and weighs over 2kg. The ceremony itself is more of religious importance than constitutional, with an oath to God and to the public pledge.

As millions watche the ceremony, would you like to know some interesting coronation facts? Did you know, for example, that there were monarchs that didn’t have even a coronation?

Coronation Facts

Let’s go all the way back to the beginning. Although coronations have taken place at Westminster Abbey since 1066, the first one didn’t even take place in London; it took place in the city of Bath and was the coronation of King Edgar in 975AD.

Since then,  we have had 3 monarchs that didn’t have a coronation. The first was King Edward V who,  shortly after he was named King,  was locked away in the Tower of London and eventually murdered, presumably by his uncle King Richard III. The second was Lady Jane Grey who inherited the throne from her cousin Edward VI (the son of Henry VIII).  After 9 days she was executed by Edward’s older sister Mary for high treason.  Lastly, the 3rd monarch was Edward VIII who abdicated before his coronation.

And another little fact is Queen Victoria’s coronation was referred to as a ‘botched coronation’ as so many things went wrong, including an elderly peer falling down the stairs and a bishop announcing the ceremony was over when that was not the case.

Whether or not you decided to watch the coronation we hope you had a good bank holiday weekend!

You can read more about the coronation on the BBC

Interesting in reading about history, read about our War Poets Collections

Source of photo Benjamin Elliot 

Person dressed up as a ghost standing in a corridor

National Paranormal Day

03/05/2023 / / 1 Comment

National Paranormal Day

National Paranormal Day: May 3rd 2023

 

There are things out there and around us we cannot explain. Stranger than fact or fiction or known to science. An eerie feeling, an unexpected sound in an empty room or building. Something you swore you saw out of the corner of your eye but isn’t there anymore. Was it just your imagination having fun or is it something other people have experienced and seen too.

Ghost Stories

Unsettling vibes, a cold chill running down your spine as your mind begins to move into hyper drive. Stories of ghosts and hauntings both benign and not so, come to mind, when angry poltergeist spirts want you gone. You take the hint and walk away whilst trying to remain composed and thinking about something else, other than the last horror movie you’ve seen. Well guess what……Shhhhh, this is between me and you, Craiglockhart campus has its own paranormal secrets too, see Ghost Stories: A spooky tale of haunted Campuses by clicking on this link below:

Ghost Stories: A spooky tale of haunted Campuses – The Library Blog (napier.ac.uk)

Or share with us your own paranormal experiences in the comments box below, just for fun, if you dare…

—–

International Paranormal day, bringing together people who have experienced or are interested in strange unexplainable things. To share their stories and possibly shed light on how common these mysteries, we cannot quite explain through scientific or other means, are.

Read about our spooky campuses and paranormal encounters at Craiglockhart Campus

or celebrate the day with a ghost tour around Edinburgh through city of tours

photo source Florian Lidin

By Mo Almas

International Haiku Poetry Day

17/04/2023 / / 0 Comments

International Haiku Poetry Day

Some say it captures the ephemeral beauty of nature. Some believe it to be the essence of a keenly-perceived moment. Others describe it as the blank shape between thoughts. But there is no official definition of the Japanese poetry form of haiku. I prefer poet Robert Spiess’s description of a “breath-length poem” in which two objects are juxtaposed “in a now-moment of awareness”.

What is a Haiku?

Haiku is taught in the west as the “five-seven-five” structure, containing 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second and 5 in the third. However, this is now considered to be a misunderstanding of the Japanese “onji” or units of sound which don’t necessarily correlate with western syllables. There’s no hard-and-fast rule regarding the number of syllables required to form haiku, but I think we can all agree that a good haiku is small but perfectly-formed.

Haiku developed in the first millennium A.D., and in the 17th century it was perfected by the poet now considered to be the master of the form, Matsuo Basho. Since then its popularity has spread across the globe; so much so that there is now an international foundation dedicated to promoting this most precious of art forms and containing the largest online repository of English-language haiku in the world.

https://thehaikufoundation.org

Haiku and Scotland

Here in Edinburgh, we’re blessed in being the home location of the Scottish Poetry Library, the world’s leading resource for Scottish poetry.

Scottish Poetry Library

From their archives, you’ll find this haiku gem, by Scottish poet and author, Alan Spence:

that daft dog

                                                chasing the train

                                                then letting it go

April 17th is international haiku day. Why not have a go at writing one yourself? Or, if you prefer to enjoy the work of others, log into LibrarySearch and look up our many poetry collections. From the databases tab, you can access Literature Online. This fantastic resource includes a “poets on screen” library and a poetry archive audio collection.

Home Page – Literature Online – ProQuest

Happy haiku!

by Lesley McRobb

You can read about our celebration of World Poetry Day 

World Theatre Day

27/03/2023 / / 0 Comments

World Theatre Day 

Today is World Theatre Day, celebrated since 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), and then adopted by the International Theatre Community.

The day acknowledges the art forms contribution to society through its diversity, richness, and ability to foster social reflection and change. Its aim is to promote all forms of theatre across the world. The day encourages people from all walks of life to engage in theatre related activities such as performances, workshops and discussions.

Importance of Theatre Day

The importance of theatre by two famous writers are mentioned below:

The Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde said..

“I regard theatre as the greatest of all art forms. The most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being”

Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It (spoken by Jaques)

“All the world’s a stage.

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts.”

You and Theatre

Just for fun:

What’s your favourite theatre performance and why?

What’s the last theatre performance you’ve seen ?

And you read all about threate, the plays, the theories and the methods over on LibrarySearch

Or perhaps you can watch, learn more about Box of Broadcasts from our previous blog post

By Mo Almas

photo source by Gwen King

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