Nollaig Shona!
Do you want to celebrate Christmas like the Irish? Then read on – we’ve got all the most important local traditions collected for you in the one blogpost – from the traditional Christmas dinner to Christmas Day swim and the so called Women’s Christmas. But before you begin you should learn the words Nollaig Shona – Happy Christmas in Irish!
Christmas decorations
The Christmas season in Ireland normally begins on December 8 and finishes on January 6, a day known as Little (or Women’s) Christmas. Wreaths made of holly – a green plant with red berries – are very common at this time of the year, as is another plant called mistletoe. Many people also buy a Christmas tree and decorate it with tinsel, lights and festive ornaments. Families with young children often go even further and surround their houses with figurines of Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen and elves… It is considered bad luck to take the decorations down before January 6.
The candle in the window
On Christmas Eve many Irish families place a lighted candle in the window of their house. The candle is a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter. Centuries ago, when Catholicism was repressed by Ireland’s English overlords, the candle also meant that the house was a safe place for a priest to perform mass.
Santa Claus
Santa Claus lives in Lapland where it is always cold and snowy, but every Christmas Eve he gets up on his sleigh and his reindeer take him around the world. As he travels a lot and gets tires it’s traditional to leave some milk and biscuits for him and his reindeer in the kitchen on Christmas Eve. Santa brings presents to all the children (but you have to be a good child to get a present). The presents are made by his little helpers – the elves. Irish children can meet Santa Claus before Christmas at various “Santa grottoes” and other places which are built up in shopping malls and at Christmas Fairs. So if you want to get a nice present this Christmas you’d better start writing a letter to Santa!
Christmas dinner
The feast of Christmas is celebrated in Ireland with a large meal fit for a king. It is the biggest meal cooked in a family household out of all meals throughout the year. Preparations for Christmas dinner usually start on Christmas Eve with the slow cooking of the turkey and preparation of the vegetables and any other goodies that may come with the large feast. An Irish Christmas dinner consists of turkey, ham, chicken, stuffing, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and various vegetables.
Midnight Mass
If you’re looking for a Church packed to the rafters look no further that any Church in Ireland at midnight mass on Christmas Eve. This is a huge social gathering where family, friends and neighbours who you may not have seen all year come together and celebrate Christmas. With Christmas carols being sung and often live music midnight mass in Ireland is a great place to catch up with old friend and get in touch with the local community at Christmas.
Christmas Day swim
On Christmas Day, December 25, many people in Ireland like to do something active in order to burn some of the calories gained the day before during Christmas dinner. One of the traditions is Christmas day swim. The swims take place all over Ireland on Christmas morning but probably most famously at the Forty Foot Rock, just south of Dublin. On Christmas Day hundreds of people can be seen jumping off the rock into the Irish Sea wearing only their bathing suits.
The water in the Irish Sea on Christmas Day is usually around 10C (freezing!!!). Unfortunately the temperature outside the water is usually about half of this making the experience bracing to say the least. This is certainly not for the faint hearted but is a proven hangover cure and is participants often receive sponsorship for charities.
Little Christmas
The Christmas season in Ireland finishes on January 6, the day known as Little Christmas or Women’s Christmas (Nollaigh na mBean). Tradition has it that women get the day off and the men of the house get to do the housework, cooking and take down the Christmas decorations. Women meet up have a day out and treat themselves.
For more information about Irish Christmas log on to:
www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com
Originally published in SEDA News
