Christmas in Ireland
Preparations for Christmas
Decorations such as holly and tinsel are hung around the house. Cards are written and sent to friends and family. Presents are given to the people who help us such as the postman. Presents are also given to close neighbours.
Decorations such as holly and tinsel are hung around the house. Cards are written and sent to friends and family. Presents are given to the people who help us such as the postman. Presents are also given to close neighbours.
The Christmas Tree
Christmas Eve
Cribs can be seen inside and outside churches at Christmas. They can sometimes be seen in town centres too. |
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Christmas Day
They often eat lots of vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips and Brussels sprouts.
For desert people often have Christmas Cake, Christmas pudding and trifle.
St. Stephen's Day (Lá 'le Stiofán)
St. Stephen's Day is celebrated on the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day. Mummers go from house to house. They carry a "wren".
St. Stephen's Day is celebrated on the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day. Mummers go from house to house. They carry a "wren".
A poem was said or sung by the mummers:
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.
St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.
There is a festival in Dingle, Co. Kerry, every year to celebrate Lá an Dreoilín. All the money collected on the day goes to a different charity. Click on the link to see some of the mummers who take part in the festival each year: https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/categories/top-documentaries/play/?pid=5784507037001&title=Aonad%208%3A%20L%C3%A1%20an%20Dreoil%C3%ADn%20sa%20Daingean&series=D%C3%BAchas
Little Christmas (Nollaig na mBan)
The feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on the 6th of January. In Ireland it is called Nollaig na mBan (Ladies Christmas) or Little Christmas. This is the day that the men folk give the women and girls in the house little presents. They also do the work around the house for the day. Nollaig na mBan is the last day of Christmas so all the decorations must be taken down an packed away until the following year. It is considered bad luck to leave them up after the 6th of January.
The feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on the 6th of January. In Ireland it is called Nollaig na mBan (Ladies Christmas) or Little Christmas. This is the day that the men folk give the women and girls in the house little presents. They also do the work around the house for the day. Nollaig na mBan is the last day of Christmas so all the decorations must be taken down an packed away until the following year. It is considered bad luck to leave them up after the 6th of January.