(le Róislín)

How many topics the basic idea of “an féilire” can generate!  Here are the months again, once again, this time with holidays to match.  The new hitch?  I’ve deliberately left off the first letter (or sometimes the first two letters) of the months as a memory-jogger.  As usual, you’ll find na freagraí below.

For this practice, I’ve used the “Mí +” form of the months’ names, since it provides a bit more challenge that way.

Oh, and a caveateen – some of these holidays are major, international, well-known, etc.  Others are not, but are documented somehow online, and at least provide a little interesting vocabulary.  For a few of the well-known holiday names, I’ve also left off the first one or two initial letters.  Cén fáth?  Cleachtadh!  Séimhiú nó gan séimhiú!

1)  Mí __anáir                        a) Lá __an Vailintín              

2) Mí na  __eabhra                b) Lá na nAmadán

3) Mí an __ árta                     c) Lá Náisiúnta Taoschnónna

4) Mí __ibreáin                      d) Lá Lucht Oibre (i Meiriceá)

5) Mí na __altaine                  e) Lá __éile __ádraig

6) Mí an __ eithimh                f) Lá Caille

7) Mí __úil                              g) Lá __ealtaine

8)) Mí __únasa                        h) Oíche __amhna

9) Mí __eán Fómhair             i) Oíche __inn Bhliana

10) Mí __eireadh Fómhair  j) Samhain

11) Mí na __amhna                k) Lá __eapairí Uachtar Reoite

12) Mí na __ollag                   l) Lá Seacláide

Tá súil agam gur bhain tú sult as seo!  Agus bíodh goile agat! (Bon appetit!).  Seacláid agus Ceapairí Uachtar Reoite agus Taoschnónna – a thiarcais!  SGF, Róislín

Gluais: amadán, fool; caileann, calends (caille, of calends); ceapaire, sandwich; féile, feast-day; oibre, of work; reoite, frozen, san, saint (usually non-Irish; “naomh” usually for Irish saints); taos, dough; taoschnó [TEESS-KHNOH], doughnut

Freagraí:

1f) Mí Eanáir, Lá Caille

2a) Mí na Feabhra, Lá San Vailintín

3e) Mí an Mhárta, Lá Fhéile Pádraig (Lá ‘Éile Pádraig).  N.B. The name in a saint’s day is typically not lenited, unlike when we simply say “cóta Phádraig” for “the coat of (an ordinary fellow named) Pádraig.”

4b) Mí Aibreáin, Lá na nAmadán

5g) Mí na Bealtaine, Lá Bealtaine

6c) Mí an Mheithimh, Lá Náisiúnta Taoschnónna (National Doughnut Day)

7l) Mí Iúil, Lá Seacláide (7 Iúil 2012!)

8k) Mí Lúnasa, Lá Ceapairí Uachtar Reoite (‘Sea! Ice Cream Sandwich Day!)

9d) Mí Mheán Fómhair, Lá Lucht Oibre (i Meiriceá)

10h) Mí Dheireadh Fómhair, Oíche Shamhna

11j) Mí na Samhna, Samhain

12i) Mí na Nollag, Oíche Chinn Bhliana (agus An Nollaig í féin, ar ndóigh)