When is Tynwald Day?
Tynwald Day is a public holiday in the Isle of Man on July 5th. It is the Isle of Man's National Holiday and marks the annual outdoor sittings of the Manx Parliament.
If Tynwald Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is generally observed as a holiday.
History of Tynwald Day
The Isle of Man is situated in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, but a Crown Dependency. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann.
Norsemen first came to the island in about 800AD and ruled for over 400 years. During that time they established different administrative systems including Tynwald, a parliament for passing legislation. Historians have traced the origin of Tynwald back to 979AD, making it the world's longest continuous parliament.
From at least from the start of the fifteenth century, Tynwald Day had been celebrated on June 24th, coinciding with the Feast of St. John the Baptist. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1753, the date didn't shift to remain on June 24th and instead was observed on July 5th under the new calendar.
There is no representation from the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom parliament and UK laws do not automatically apply in the Isle of Man. Tynwald makes the laws which are given final approval by the Queen.
How is Tynwald Day celebrated?
Tynwald meets regularly during the year, with an outdoor session held on July 5th at St. John's. The main event on Tynwald day is the promulgation of acts as each act of Tynwald must be promulgated on Tynwald Hill within 18 months of enactment.
On Tynwald Day any person may approach Tynwald Hill and present a Petition for Redress. The Petitions can be taken up by members of Tynwald and put to the parliament. Many pieces of legislation in the Isle of Man have been passed using this process.
The outdoor session is well attended and in addition to the parliamentary proceedings, there are plenty of other attractions such as concerts, family ceildh, firework displays, stalls and displays to keep everyone entertained.
