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Nollaig Shona Dhuit

The people of the Emerald Isle celebrate Christmas very much the same as people throughout the English-speaking world. Christmas trees, Santa Claus, parties and family get-togethers are the norm, but we’ll be looking at some of their special traditions.

Christmas Eve

As a predominantly Catholic country, Christmas Eve involves going to Mass. It is, after all, a celebration of the arrival of the Savior.

Midnight Mass is a beloved tradition in most Christian countries. Celebrating the transition from the fasting and preparation of Advent to the joy of Christmas is the culmination of the season.

Back home, there’s one last fasting meal to be had and a couple of household traditions to enjoy. As most people prefer the Midnight Mass, Christmas Eve dinner is still a time of fasting. A meal of salmon, prawns or other fish is most common..

After supper, some will set the table for three (Mary, Joseph and Jesus, of course) and leave a candle lit for their guests. They’ll offer a pitcher of milk and a large soda bread with raisins and caraway seeds for the Holy Family to enjoy on their long trek to Bethlehem.

One of the beloved household celebrations is the Christmas Candle (Coinneal Mór na Nollag). The tradition is to light a candle and set it in the biggest window to serve as an invitation to the Holy Family.

In the Nativity story, Mary and Joseph were compelled to return to Bethlehem to register for taxes to the Roman Empire. As the story goes, there was no room at the inn.

The Irish, a devout and famously hospitable people, light the candle to invite the Holy Family to find refuge and to remind themselves of the true meaning of Christmas.

Another tradition is good old Santa Claus (San Nioclás or Daidí na Nollag). Kids the world over love getting gifts from Santa. Just like other countries, there are mall Santas for kids to visit in Ireland. Kids in Ireland, rather than milk and cookies, will leave Guiness and a mince pie for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer.

Saint Stephen’s Day

While Christmas Day is much like Christmas throughout the world, the day after Christmas is also something very special. The country basically goes on holiday from Christmas through New Year’s but Saint Stephen’s Day (December 26th) is typically a day taken off.

Inasmuch as Christmas is for family and feasting, Saint Stephen’s Day is for getting out and enjoying sporting events such as football (that’s ⚽ not 🏈) or horse races or a chilly dip in the sea.

An ancient tradition that’s unique to Ireland is the Wren Boys’ Procession. It’s a bit of a cross between an extremely retro mummer’s parade and trick or treat.

It’s said that Saint Stephen’s hiding place was given away by the chiding of wrens who felt he was too close to their nest. Having been revealed, he was accosted and stoned to death by the enraged crowd, making him the first Christian martyr. Naturally, wrens got a bit of a bad reputation after that.

Young people will put on conical wicker costumes and carry around an effigy of a wren in a holly bush. They’ll recite ancient rhymes and sing carols to entice people to give them treats.

Wren Boys, Carrigaline, Ireland

Women’s Christmas

January 6th is variably known as Little Christmas, Women’s Christmas (Nollaig na mBan) or Epiphany.

The reason it’s known as Women’s Christmas is that the women were traditionally given the day off while the men of the house attended to the cooking and cleaning. As with most things, results will vary. 😉 Either way, it is commonly recognized as the end of the Christmas season and time to take down the decorations.

The Irish will typically begin decorating at the beginning of Advent, though some believe it is unlucky to begin decorating before December 8th (Feast of the Immaculate Conception). This seems reasonable since it’s not really Christmas without the birthday boy. In either case, having the decorations up past Epiphany simply isn’t done.

Having a goose for dinner is considered a fine way to wrap up the holidays, although the women may decide to go visiting friends or relatives while the men tend house. They may even elect to enjoy a night out on the town to celebrate their own special Christmas holiday.

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The Irish are a splendidly warm-hearted people with a number of charming traditions.. We hope you’ve enjoyed this little sampling of Christmas in Ireland.