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The definition of Ceilidh.
TODAY, when we think about ceilidhs, we think of them as the social dances of Scotland and Ireland, a chance for people to listen to traditional music on the pipes, fiddles and drums and dance the night away. In Gaelic the word means "gathering", and the island definition of ceilidh is still a house gathering, where everyone contributes something to the evening: a song, a dance or a story well told. Ceilidhs in the Lowlands tend to be formal dances, in the Highlands they tend to be concerts.
Like country dancing, ceilidh dancing takes place in twos or in "sets" of couples. Some ceilidhs will have a caller so that everyone knows what steps are coming next. Steps for the most popular dances are outlined below, but don't worry . . . a ceilidh wouldn't be half as much fun if everybody knew all the steps.
Some dance experts say ceilidhs have become more popular over the past two decades because young people crave a more formal style of dancing in their culture, in reaction to the anything goes approach of the club scene. Ceilidh dancing may have also have seen a resurgence because the steps and the dances are easy to learn, and above everything a ceilidh is a social event where everyone gets the chance to take to the floor, especially in the "progressive" dances such as the Canadian Barn Dance where each lady moves on to the next gentleman. "Singles" ceilidh nights are now common in Scotland, as are ceilidh-discos and most Scottish weddings will include at least one ceilidh dance that everyone, young and old, can join in with. Ceilidhs are also held by Scottish expatriates all over the world, from London to Lahore, and New Zealand to Nova Scotia.
Ceilidhs are, of course, not without their risk of injury . . . watch out for the commonly occurring "ceilidh bruising", where your partner grabs you so hard round the arms that you are left with telltale purple marks for days.
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