Today is BLOOMSDAY. Bloomsday is a commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce during which the events of his novel Ulysses, which is set on June 16, 1904, are relived.

It is observed annually on June 16 in Dublin and elsewhere. Joyce chose the date as it was the date of his first outing with his wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle; they walked to the Dublin suburb of Ringsend. The name is derived from Leopold Bloom, the Ulyssean protagonist.

The day involves a range of cultural activities, including Ulysses readings and dramatizations, pub crawls and other events, some of it hosted by the James Joyce Center in North Great George’s Street. Enthusiasts often dress in Edwardian costume to celebrate Bloomsday, and retrace Bloom’s route around Dublin via landmarks such as Davy Byrne’s pub. Hard-core devotees have even been known to hold marathon readings of the entire novel, some lasting up to 36 hours.