The 12 Days of Christmas

This world famous & beloved Christmas carol is an Irish Christmas creation. The song was written during Penal times when it was a crime to practice Catholicism. It was written to help young Catholics learn their religious beliefs and is packed with hidden meaning because if you were you caught with any writing of the Catholic faith you would be punished. In the lyrics the "true love" really refers to God himself & the "me" refers to every baptized person. All of the gifts mentioned in the song are also codes for Christian beliefs.

• A partridge in a pear tree - Jesus Christ
• Two turtle doves - The Old and New Testaments
• Three french hens - Faith, Hope and Charity
• Four calling birds - The four Gospels and/or four Evangelists
• Five golden rings - The first five books of the Old Testament
• Six geese a-laying - Six days of creation
• Seven swans a swimming - The seven Sacraments of the Holy Spirit
• Eight maids a milking - The eight Beatitudes
• Nine ladies dancing - The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
• Ten lords a leaping - The Ten Commandments
• Eleven pipers piping - The eleven apostles
• Twelve drummers drumming - The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

The Christmas Holly Wreath

The tradition of placing a wreath of holly on your doorway comes all the way from Ireland, mainly because holly is abundant at this time of year giving the poor the opportunity to decorate their homes just like the upper classes. And back in the old days it was the children's task to gather the decorations and to find the best holly bush with the most berries for luck.

The Candle in the Window

An old Irish tradition which is still around today is the lighting of a candle in the window on Christmas Eve, usually red in color, and encircled with holly at the bottom. The candle is a symbol of hospitality and a way of welcoming Mary and Joseph as they look for a place to stay at Christmas. Another reason for the candle being lit is, in the times of the Penal laws, conducting a Mass was forbidden and so a candle was lit to indicate a safe place for the Mass to take place. The candle should only be lit by the youngest member of the family and should only be extinguished by a girl with the name of Mary.

Whitewashing the House

In the few weeks leading up to Christmas, it was a well known tradition in Ireland to do an annual painting of the house and out houses. Usually done by men while the women did a clean out of the interiors, the tradition dates back to pre-Christian times as an ancient version of spring cleaning, that was done before the winter solstice when the daylight hours go back to only 7 and a half hours. When Christianity arrived the tradition was changed as a way of preparing for the arrival of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

The Christmas Cake & Pudding

A well known Irish tradition that the mothers and women of the family take very serious is the making of the Christmas pudding and or Christmas cake. Made as early as October in some well organized cases, the Christmas pudding/cake is a rich fruit, spice and nut combination laced with whiskey or ale that are made this early to mature properly for the big day. Each Irish mammy has their own recipe that varies to taste. Some opt for the store bought pudding in recent years as finding the time and energy to make the pudding is hard to fit into busy schedules.

The Set Table on Christmas Eve

A tradition that has disappeared in modern times. After a meal on Christmas Eve the table is set again with a loaf of bread with caraway seeds and berries, and a jug of milk and lit candle. The door to the house was left unlocked so that any wandering traveler thought to be God in guise or Mary and Joseph would be welcome in the night.

Christmas Eve Midnight Mass

On Christmas Eve all over Ireland people gather in packed churches for midnight mass. It is a huge social gathering were friends, neighbors and family whom you may have not seen all year come to celebrate Christmas. It is an exciting time with the children waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus later that night and everyone dresses in their best clothes. Christmas carols are sung and the nativity story is told in the mass. It is a great place to catch up with old friends and gather the local community at Christmas.

Leaving a 'Drink & Snack' for Santa

Unlike other countries such as America where it is customary to leave Santa a Glass of milk and cookies, the Irish leave a mince pie and a glass of whiskey or glass of Guinness as a thank you to Santa for stopping at the house.

The Christmas Morning Swim

This is what some people deem to be a crazy Christmas tradition. The Christmas day swim takes place all over Ireland. Usually in aid of charity, hundreds of people can be seen jumping off piers and rocks into the Irish Sea wearing only swimming suits! The temperature of the Irish sea on Christmas day is always around 10c which doesn’t sound so bad, but it’s the outside temperature that usually makes the experience all the more memorable, and proven to be a great hangover cure!

The Christmas Jumper

What originated from the days of hand crafted Christmas gifts from aunties and grandmothers handing out the less than fashionable (but made with love) jumpers as presents has turned into a fun novelty competition on the streets of Ireland with everyone trying to out-do each other with ridiculous designs on the their jumpers. The woollier and hairier the better and in recent years they have become electric with the addition of fairy lights and even bells!

Horse Racing on Saint Stephen's Day

As the Patron Saint of Horses, Saint Stephen’s day has become a widely known horse racing day in Ireland with big races being held in well known courses such as Leopardstown that attracts up to 20,000 people every year. It’s a great day out and a chance to stretch your legs after a food filled Christmas day and have a drink with friends.

Little Christmas

The 6th of January has many names such as the Epiphany or Little Christmas and is traditionally the finale of the Christmas celebration in Ireland. It is also known as Women’s Christmas when women of the household get the day off and the men take over the house work and take down the decorations while the women treat themselves with a day out. It is believed that failing to take down decorations on the 6th brings a lot of bad luck to the house hold for the new year.