Bloomsday in Ireland Date in the current year: June 16, 2024

The events of Ulysses took place on June 16, 1904. The date was set by James Joyce himself, since he wanted to remember the exact date when he went for the first date with his wife-to-be Nora Barnacle. And the name of the event Bloomsday derives from the name of Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of Ulysses.

The major celebration of Bloomsday is held in Dublin. The fans of the novel run the same rout as Leopold Bloom did in the novel. Everyone can participate in street festival, which is concluded with a five-hour readings of the novel. Different events are organized annually, one of the biggest scale was a free open-air full Irish breakfast treated to 10,000 Dubliners.

Bloolmsday is also observed in other countries across the world. For instance, festivals are organized in Hungary, the USA, Italy and Australia.