21 Kisses

So last night I attended El Rob-o’s 21st birthday party.

Last time I attended a 21st birthday party I neglected to mention this Irish tradition of 21 kisses. Aside from the key to the house thing (which is never done anymore), this seems to be the only other distinction to this particular birthday. The birthday person is placed in front of the band and 21 members of the opposite sex must queue up for a kiss, with the last kiss reserved for someone of particular significance; be it familial or romantic. So, if you happen to be in Ireland for someone’s 21st and they’re a member of the opposite sex – getcher smoochin lips on!!

The party last night was in Rayner’s and the crowd was jolly and well-behaved. Local cover band The Fuzz Rockets performed. The 21st birthday is a big one in Ireland, not because of the legal age for anything (21-year-olds in Ireland can already vote, drive, serve in the armed forces and have been able to drink alchohol for three years already), but because (I believe) it signifies one’s arrival into independent adulthood.