 Borrowed from Wikipedia: 
A céilidh (pronounced /ˈkʲʰeːlʲiː/) is the traditional Gaelic social dance in Ireland, Scotland and Atlantic Canada. Other spellings encountered are ceilidh, céilí (Irish reformed spelling) and cèilidh (Scottish Gaelic reformed spelling). Before discos and nightclubs, there were Céilidhs in most town and village
halls on Friday or Saturday nights; they are still common today. Originally céilidhs facilitated courting and prospects of marriage for young people and, although discos and nightclubs have displaced céilidhs to a considerable extent, they are still an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Ireland
and Scotland, especially in the Gaelic-speaking west coast regions. Céilidhs are sometimes held on a smaller scale in private or public houses, for example in remote rural hinterlands and during busy festivals. It is common for some clubs and institutions such as sports clubs, schools and universities and even
employers to arrange céilidhs on a regular or at least annual basis. The formality of these can vary. Some mix modern pop music with a Scottish country dancing band and dress codes range from compulsory highland dress to informal. Knowledge and use of the basic dance steps is not always strictly necessary, and
dances often alternate with songs, poetry recitals, story telling and other types of "party pieces".
Céilidh music is provided by any assortment of fiddle, flute, tin whistle, accordion, bodhrán (pronounced /ˈboːrɑːn/ or /ˈbaurɑːn/) (a drumlike instrument, traditionally with a wooden frame covered with stretched goat hide), and in more recent times also drums and electric bass guitar. The music is cheerful
and lively, and the basic steps can be learned easily; a short instructional session is often provided for new dancers before the start of the dance itself.
The general format of céilidh dancing is the "Set". A Set consists of four couples, with each pair facing another in a square or rectangular formation. Each couple exchanges position with the facing couple, and also facing couples exchange partners, while all the time keeping in step with the beat of the music.
However, about half of the dances in the modern Scots céilidh are couple dances performed in a ring. These can be performed by fixed couples or in the more sociable "progressive" manner, with the lady moving to the next gentleman in the ring at or near the end of each repetition of the steps.
There is also a form of dancing in Ireland: e. g. the "Siege of Ennis", "The Walls of Limerick" and "The Stack of Barley" being the most popular dances in this genre; some of the céilidh dance formations are named after famous historical battles and events, others after items of daily rural life as the last three examples show.
Step dancing is another form of dancing often performed at céilidhs, the form that was popularised in the 1990s by the world-famous Riverdance ensemble. Whereas Set dancing involves all present, whatever their skill, Step dancing is usually reserved for show, being performed only by the most talented of dancers.
The céilidh has been internationalised by the Scottish and Irish diasporas in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, where local céilidhs and traditional music competitions are held. In recent years, céilidh and traditional music competitions have been frequently won by descendants of emigrants.
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For info on traditional Celtic Weddings, see
NCW
