Irish Christmas Traditions (Blogger 6)



Irish Christmas Traditions
The biggest difference between Christmas traditions in Ireland and the United States is that Christmas in Ireland is all about culture and tradition. The legends and origins of Irish Christmas traditions are like a giant tapestry, pulling one thread naturally begins to unravel several others. There are many traditions in Ireland that are similar to those tradition in America. The Irish exchange gifts, and children visit with Santa Claus. Americans tend to go all out with their outdoor lights and decorations, but Irish homes are decorated more simply and humbly. Irish Christmas season begins December 8 and continues through the twelve days after Christmas. Irish Christmas traditions are older with many dating back to Celtic traditions.
Candles in the Window
Candles in the window are symbolic of welcoming wanderers to the Irish home. The tradition is symbolic of welcoming Mary and Joseph. The candle was also used as a signal for passing priests theat the home would welcome them and allow them to conduct mass. The candle is always ceremoniously lit by the youngest member of the family after the Christmas Eve supper. Later on, a girl named Mary is the one who gets to extinguish the flame.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe
Kissing under the mistletoe is an old Irish tradition that was originally banned because it hearkened back to the Druid day. Mistletoe is an evergreen plant that the Druids believed held the soul of the tree. The Druids also believed that mistletoe held healing powers. The ancient peoples believed that the plant would cause even enemies to lay down their weapons and become friends. This belief led to the tradition of hanging mistletoe in the doorway at Christmas time.
Christmas Holly is one of the Most Popular Christmas Traditions
Christmas holly allowed even the poorest family to decorate for the holidays. Ancient Romans associated holly with Saturn, the sun god. The Druids also gave magical powers to holly. The Druids would use holly leaf tea to treat a variety of ailments. Because it is an evergreen, holly keeps the winter landscape green and fresh. Putting holly around the windows and doors would keep evil spirits at bay. As Christianity grew in Ireland, many of the ancient traditions melded with the Christian beliefs. The prickly leaves of the holly remind Christians of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. The red berries represented the blood of Christ. A Christian legend claims that holly grew to hide the holy family from the soldiers. Christmas holly and ivy are both considered good luck plants. “The holly and the ivy/when they both are full grown/of all the trees that are in the wood/the holly bears the crown.”
The Origins of Christmas on December 25
Winter solstice is December 21st—the shortest day of the year. December 25th is the day that the Druids celebrated the rebirth of the sun. When Constantine legalized Christianity, he had to make it appealing to everyone by embracing the celebrations that already existed. Irish Christians found it natural to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th. In Ireland, the Christmas season officially begins on December 8. The twelve days of Christmas, also known as Old Christmas, begins on December 25th. The day after Christmas is celebrated as St. Stephen’s Day. The Christmas season doesn’t officially end until January 6th, the Day of Epiphany.
Irish Christmas Foods
One of the most wonderful things about Christmas is the food that is only made during the holidays. Irish Christmas dinners include turkey and ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and, of course, potatoes. One staple of the Irish Christmas meal is the Christmas goose. The Irish also have spiced beef. The beef is spiced weeks before Christmas and served hot or cold. Potatoes come any way that you can think of…roasted, boiled, mashed, baked, and fried. Traditional Irish desserts include mince pies, Christmas cake, and Christmas puddings. The cakes and puddings are drenched in rum and butter sauce. And of course, no Irish celebration would be complete without Irish soda bread.
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Ireland
The twelve days of Christmas go back to the 16th century when Catholicism was banned in England and Ireland. It was a time when the Irish Catholics needed the French Catholics to help them find ways to teach their little ones about Catholicism in secret. The Irish used an old French children’s song. During a time when Catholics in Ireland could be killed for expressing their faith, the song was a way for people to learn about their faith in secret. The gifts in the song are symbolic of specific beliefs in the Catholic faith and “my own true love” was God.
Christmas Carols in Ireland
“The Wexford Carol” originated in Enniscorthy and dates back to the 12th century. It tells the story of Jesus’s birth. It is one of the oldest known Christmas carols. This song was traditionally only sung by men. The poem, “Once in Royal David’s City” was written in 1848 and set to music one year later. “Curoo, Curoo” or “Carol of the Birds” was written in the early 1800s. The song literally celebrates the melodies of birds. “I saw Three Ships” was originally an English song, but has long been a favorite in Ireland. The song is about the ships that carried the gifts of the Magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century. “Don Oiche Ud L MBeithl” is an ancient Irish carol that tells the story of that night in Bethlehem. “Whilst Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night” tells the story of the annunciation of the shepherds.
Wren Day
Wren Day is celebrated on December 26th, St. Stephen’s Day. The tradition consists of hunting a wren and putting it on top of a decorated pole. Then, the crowds of mummers or straw boys celebrate the wren by dressing up in masks, straw suits, and colorful motley clothing, and accompanied by traditional bands, and then parade through the streets of the village. In past times, real wrens were hunted by the boys on St. Stephen’s Day. The captured wren was then tied to the lead boy’s pole. The captured wren would be kept alive. The boys would then ask for donations. The money collected nowadays is donated to charity.
St. Stephen’s Day
The feast of St. Stephen is a Christian saint’s day in honor of St. Stephen. It is celebrated on December 26. In Ireland, it is one of the nine official public holidays. This holiday is linked to the day of the wren. This is symbolic of comparing Jesus to a wren.
Relevance of Religion to Christmas
Ireland is very much a Catholic country, and Christmas is very much a part of the culture. Many Irish attend Christmas services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is often celebrated with a midnight mass. Christmas is also a time for remembering the dead and decorating their graves. It is tradition to decorate graves with holly and ivy. Many traditional Irish homes decorate with a tradition crib or Nativity scene. Family and friends exchange gifts.
Little Christmas
Christmas celebrations in Ireland are finished by January 6th, Little Christmas or Epiphany. It is the traditional end of the Christmas holidays for school children in Ireland. In some places in Ireland, it is called Old Christmas because it the original date of Christmas. Many folks celebrate Little Christmas with set dancing. Set dancing is a large country dance in which couples dance in sets of eight. Often dancers follow a caller who names each change in figures.



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