The Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916 and the October Revolution in Russia in 1917 are alike in only two respects. Their similarities are linked to historical memory and the effect of these events on the countries’ experiences in the 20th century.
Easter – a national festival
Of course, the first similarity relates to the timing of the two revolutions and when they began to be commemorated. The Easter Rising, as the name suggests, took place at Easter 1916 and lasted for five days, from 24 to 29 April. This (tragically failed) armed attempt to bring an end to British rule in Ireland became a milestone in the historical consciousness of the Irish people throughout the 20th century and a key element in their nation building ever since.
The Easter Rising in some sense still defines the national and even cultural identity of the Irish today, which is why its anniversaries, and especially jubilee years, are so widely commemorated. This year, its 100th anniversary, the festivities were spectacular by comparison with the usual modest celebrations. There was a military parade, processions, flags and banners, crowds, political speeches, features in the papers (the famous Irish Times wrote about nothing else for a whole week), not to mention TV, radio and online publications and arguments on social media, all squeezed into the few days between Good Friday on 23 March and the end of Easter Week on 2 April. At first glance everything seemed right – it is, after all, the Easter Rising.
