The night before the 12 July there are bonfires and much revelry, followed the next day by the parades, or demonstrations, as they are more commonly known.

In the weeks leading up to the celebrations, pallets and other wooden objects are stockpiled for the fires and children can be seen practising their baton twirling in preparation for the parades. This is also the peak of the Orange Order's marching season, which starts around Easter and continues through the summer into September.

Since the beginning of The Troubles, the Orange Orders that spearhead the parades and celebrations have been associated with sectarian violence, but more recently efforts have been made to disassociate themselves from this. You can still feel the tensions rise around this time, but avoid the bonfires of the "Eleventh Night" and head to Belfast City Centre for the main demonstration on the Twelfth.

There are still restrictions on the route, in order to avoid hotspots, but they've tried to make this a family event and from 2006 no soldiers were deployed to "police" the event for the first time since 1970. It's not quite mardi gras, but a good insight into the cultural politics of Northern Ireland, with plenty of flag-waving accompanying the Orange Order flute bands. These come from all over the province, as well as other parts of Ireland, Scotland, and even the United States and Canada.

The 12 July is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland, and as all schools in the province finish at the beginning of July, many take the following two weeks as their family summer holiday, so this is the "peak" season.