The celts

At the present time, every aspect of Celtic culture is a very visible part of a multicultural world. Everyone whose family roots lie in central, western and northwestern Europe has a Celtic connection of some sort. Celtic culture is very ancient. It goes back over 2,700 years, yet it is still a living force in the modern world, through Celtic art, Celtic music, Celtic writing, and Celtic spirituality. This is because the civilization of the Celts has continued without break over the centuries. This unbroken tradition can be experienced in the oldest literature from Northern Europe, that is in the Welsh and Irish languages. Throughout history, the Celtic tradition and belief has not remained static, but has continuously developed and progressed in keeping with the times. In ancient days, the early beliefs of the Celts were taken over and reformed by the Druids, who in turn were influenced by Roman religion. In time, this was transformed by Crhistianity in the form of the Celtic Church, that was not a break with tradition, but a continuation of the Celtic essence in a new form. Because what we call Celtic culture has existed for more than 2,700 years, and has ranged across much of central and northwestern Europe, it is not easy to define in simple terms.

Family
The family was known as a clann . They extended family of generations. Group members were responsible for everyone in the clann.

Education
Oral tradition was passed down by grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, foster parents. Children would be raised by another family foster parents to get educated in a certain trade. Foster parents were usually the brother of the birth-mother.

Marriage and women

The oaths are the only religious part of marriage which are specified by the marriage contract. Women were equal to men. They could own property, choose own husbands, and be war leaders. They also had an equal part in putting together the marriage contract.

Religion
Believe in the otherworld. Their lives were a dangerous journey toward death. The circle on the cross is the halo of the Christ figure. They built monastic communities in a circular design.

Jewelry The Celts were fond of jewelry and both men and women used it to decorate themselves. Gold was the metal of choice. The women wore rings, bracelets, armbands belts, girdles and necklaces, while men wore bracelets, rings, and belts. They also wore toques around their necks. A torque is a piece of metal in the shape of a u or a circle that is worn around the neck and equated with a persons honor.

Appearance and clothes The Celts were fond of color and wore as many colors as possible. Men wore trousers and knee length tunics and women wore dresses or tunics over skirts. Both sexes wore long wool cloaks to keep warm. Women also wore make up to brighten their cheeks and eyes and sometimes paint stripes on their faces. During battle, warriors went naked or shirtless and covered their bodies with designs in a die called wode which was an indigo blue and was supposed to protect them from harm.

Houses
They lived in huts that were made from arched timber with walls made of wicker and thatched roofs.