The laughter was infectious at the Christmas Island fire hall, Wednesday, as about a dozen children ages four to 12 either learned to pronounce new Gaelic words or used the time to brush up on Gaelic language skills learned in previous years.
She said her interest came as a result of a long line of family members who have maintained their Gaelic traditions.“A lot of people in my family are Gaelic, so I just like the language,” MacDonald said.
“I like to learn Gaelic. I take lessons here too and a lot of my friends come here as well.”She said taking part in one of the Gaelic day camps for kids is something her friends and she can enjoy together during the long summer break from school.
He’s been attending the Feis an Eilein for the past eight years. With several relatives living in the area, heading to Christmas Island for summer vacation is now second nature to him.
O’Neill is a big fan of the Gaelic workshops and he said taking part in a family square dance is “cool” because it’s something he just can’t find living in Massachusetts.He said when he’s home in Boston, he only knows of his cousin who can speak some Gaelic words along with him.
Christmas Island is home to the first Feis to be held outside of Scotland. The festival includes intermediate and advanced Gaelic language classes, a traditional milling frolic, and song, fiddle, chanter and step dancing workshops. The festival ends with a family square dance on Saturday night.
Tags: day camps, gaelic language, gaelic words, language classes, language skills, laughter, macdonald, milling frolic, o neill, second nature, square dance, summer break