Candle in the window: On Christmas Eve, usually to help Joseph and Mary on their way, also signifies a light for emigrants remembering them.
Hunting of the Wren: Ancient Irish ritual carried out on St.Stephen’s Day when wren boys go door to door singing and collecting money. Allegedly the wren betrayed Stephen to his Roman pursuers.
Midnight Mass:
A glorious family tradition where the family goes together to chuch and afterwards has a special get together when the tales of Christmas Eve get told.
Little Christmas:
No one dares take down the decorations until January 6th and Little Christmas, also known as Women’s Christmas when the females get a deserved day off is an important day.
Week off between Christmas and New Year:
Very few work in Ireland between Christmas and New Year’s, spending the time instead visiting family and friends.
St. Stephen’s Day horse racing:
Big day out after being cooped up over Christmas, Leopardstown in South Dublin and Limerick racecourses the places to see and be seen. especially for the fashion-conscious ladies.
Christmas morning fry:
After the imbibing exertions of the night before slap on the calories with a monster Irish fry with bacon, eggs black pudding sausage toast etc. Not for the faint hearted!
40 Foot Dun Laoghaire naked swim Christmas morning:
A famous bathing place in South Dublin and a tradition for men only but challenged in recent years by the ladies.
Phone calls/Skype from emigrants home:
An age old tradition of emigrants calling home alas, and getting ever more popular as more emigrate.
Opening the door to let in the New Year spirit:
Right as midnight strikes, all house doors opened to let in the New Year and banish the old.
Got any Christmas traditions we haven’t covered? Let us know.
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