Tynwald Day 2018 celebrated on Isle of Man
Today marks the Isle of Man's annual national day, Tynwald Day.
Those who live on island will enjoy a Bank Holiday, which is held every July 5th to celebrate being Manx.
It's the only day when the Manx parliament is held on Tynwald Hill in St John's, and the public can lobby lawmakers by presenting petitions.
Traditionally the day was marked with a fair but nowadays it's a much bigger event with concerts, family ceildh, firework displays, stalls and displays.
The first events in the programme start at 9am around the Tynwald Hill in St. John’s, with the Manx Folk Dance Society dancing on the Front Green before the official ceremony at 10.15am.
Tynwald Day celebrations will be drawn to a close with a performance on Tynwald Hill from the Ellan Vannin Pipe Band and a fire display by Spinning Vannin at 10pm.
What is Tynwald Day?
Tynwald Day, or in Manx Gaelic "Laa Tinvaal", is the island's celebration every July 5th (sometimes the following Monday if it falls on a weekend) marking the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world.
It is believed Viking settlers first established Tynwald, however the first recorded Tynwald Day was held in 1417.
The Island's legislature, Tynwald, meets at St John's, instead of Douglas where they currently sit.
The session is held partly in the Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist and partly in the open air on the adjacent Tynwald Hill, which is said to be soil of 17 parts of the parishes which make up the island.
The island's national herb is usually worn by Manx residents and officials, with a Head of State in attendance - previous Heads include Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, and many others.
Rushes are placed on the path between the Royal Chapel and Tynwald Hill, but many people still practise the older tradition of going up South Barruleto leave their bundle of rushes on Midsummer Eve or the evening before Tynwald Day.
Manx author and poet Kathleen Graham published['Going to Tynwald'](http://These Fairy Shores,) in 1962, one of her many poems written in the Manx dialect.
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