The Celts, and Celtic peoples, are alive and well today. Celtic culture is well documented and preserved, and there are millions of people on different continents who make it a point to identify with that culture.
Irish Gaelic, a Celtic language, is one of the official languages of Ireland, along with English. Gaelic is taught in schools, and there are "Gaeltacht" areas, as in parts of Co. Donegal, where the use of Gaelic by native speakers is officially encouraged by the government. According to the World Book Encyclopedia,one in five people in Ireland can speak Gaelic (about 700,000 people), and one in 20 speak Gaelic every day (about 100,000 people).
Still, the English language is not going to disappear in Ireland, and most don't want it to--English is a very versatile language. Even so, the Irish have a distinctive way of expressing English. Scholars say that there is a form of Hiberno-English(or Irish-English) that is different than standard English. Irish speakers of English have their own usages and grammatical construction, and it's widespread.
In Wales there is a resurgence of Celtic nationalism. The Welsh flag, a dragon over a green and white background, is shown prominently. Annual Celtic festivals called Eisteddfods preserve and display Welsh culture.
Perhaps the area where Celtic Wales is making the most headway is in the area of the Welsh language. It is taught in the schools, and a popular television station broadcasts all its programs in Celtic Welsh. For TV, a Welsh cartoon series and animated programs connect children and young people with the Celtic language of Wales. The people of Wales have forced the government to use bilingual road signs, and they have changed place names back to Celtic Welsh--as in Dyfed, Clwyd, Gynedd, and Powys.
In Scotland, over 80,000 people still speak Scottish Gaelic, mostly in the highland and nearby islands. Other Celtic elements include references to the clans, bagpipe music, interest in tartan plaids and kilts, Scottish field games, and Scottish step-dancing. In the beginning of July, 1999, the Scottish parliament met again for the first time in nearly 300 years; some observers feel that at some point there will be a move for more political independence for the Celtic people there.
In Brittany, the pan-Celtic festival is held annually in Lorient. Several times a year there are religious-social celebrations called Pardons which preserve Celtic Breton culture. Breton scholars report that young people are taking a deeper interest in learning the Breton language, and Celtic music is gaining a resurgence of attention there.
Even in England, where the Celtic Britons once ruled, there is the prominent statue of Boadicea, the Celtic chieftain. Then there are the references to the Celtic maypoles and May Day, and the garland festivals and dances. And in old Celtic Cornwall, there is a tourist industry surrounding the Celtic heroes of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
And around the world, people who are interested in the Celts can find many websites dealing with the Celtic civilization on the Internet. Just try entering the word Celt into your favorite search engine and find out for yourself.
