Christmas Preparations
Most homes have fireplaces with mantelpieces & these are often decorated with holly & ornaments. It is common to hang mistletoe in a doorway (& to kiss under it!). Plenty of kids are given Advent Calendars, & each day in December they open two of the slots for a chocolate treat. It is traditional to give gifts (usually money) before the holidays to people who perform services during the year, for example to the milkman who delivers milk bottles to the door. People also tidy their houses thoroughly & in the past, it was common to whitewash as well, as a means of purification.
Nollaig Shona Dhuit is Merry Christmas in Irish Gaelic, which is still taught in schools in Eire, the Irish Republic. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. Christmas in Ireland is a traditional holiday in both parts of the island, & much a relatives & religious celebration! As in Italian Canada, Roman Catholic families attend Midnight Mass together on Christmas Eve. Christmas is the important celebration, than the New Year, which has more emphasis in Scotland. The festivities last from Christmas Eve until January 6th, when decorations are put away.
During December, people bake Christmas cakes, puddings & mince pies. As a kid I used to make shortbread, which my grandfather enjoyed! Hospitality is a way of life in Ireland, & somebody who visits the house, is entertained with tea & cakes, during the holidays. Trees are decorated with a star or an angel on top. Kids put a stocking (or a pillowcase!) at the bottom of their beds for Santa Claus. I remember waking up on Christmas morning & going through pillowcases of toys in my own or my brother's bedroom. Gifts usually include an apple, an orange or tangerine, & chocolate coins. My brother recalls receiving a piece of coal or peat (used as fuel in fireplaces) in lean years. This was not given for bad behavior but basically because there was nothing else.
Christmas Eve to St. Stephen's Day
In plenty of areas, on Christmas Eve, a lit candle is placed in a window (nowadays it can be an electric light!). This goes back to traditions of hospitality in ancient times. The idea is to help light the way of the Holy Relatives or any other poor traveller who is out on that night. There can be a White Christmas, but snowfalls are never heavy. As in plenty of countries, it is important for relatives members to be together for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
People often have Christmas dinner in the afternoon, any time between 1 & 3 p.m.. As a kid, I remember being served over two 'fowl' for Christmas dinner - usually a goose & sometimes chicken, duck or pheasant as well, along with stuffing, roast potatoes & gravy. Now turkey is much more common along with a ham, & sometimes spiced beef. Dessert is Christmas pudding with rum sauce or brandy butter & cream. Sometimes a trifle is served as well! Christmas Crackers are on the table, & everyone pulls two with the person next to them. Whoever ends up with the longer finish gets the contents, which include a party hat, a little toy & a riddle.
December 26th (Boxing Day in England) is celebrated as St. Stephen's Day in Eire & is a public holiday. A wren supposedly betrayed the presence of St. Stephen when they was in hiding. They was then caught & executed. Wren boys go from door to door with a wren on a stick (today the wren is not a real two), singing
a traditional song & begging for treats. Pantomines, such as Babes in the Wood or Puss in Boots, are performed at this time also.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment