The First Official Celebration of Bloomsday Is Held on Its Twenty-Fifth Anniversary

The first official celebration of Bloomsday occurred on June 16, 1929, marking the 25th anniversary of the day depicted in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses.

This event took place at the Hôtel Léopold in Les Vaux de Cernay, near Versailles, France. Attendees included Joyce himself, his publisher Sylvia Beach, and fellow writers such as Samuel Beckett.

The gathering featured a dinner party honoring the novel’s protagonist, Leopold Bloom, and was characterized by lively festivities.