The top ten Irish Christmas traditions that make the season - PHOTOS

The Irish flock to church, shop, and make merry

By: JANE WALSH | Published Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 8:23 AM | Updated Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 8:23 AM

SEE PHOTOS - Christmas traditions in Ireland

Christmas really brings out the best in Ireland and the Irish from cheerful festivities to wild acts of machismo, happy reunions, musical celebrations in Church and partying for week. In Ireland Christmas lasts for about two weeks and is gladly celebrated as a respite from the winter.

Here are just a few of Ireland’s favorite things at Christmas some old some new but all activities and aspects that make Christmas in Ireland particularly special:

1. Midnight mass on Christmas Eve

If you’re looking for a Church packed to the rafters look no further that any Church in Ireland at midnight mass on Christmas Eve. This is a huge social gathering where family, friends and neighbors who you may not have seen all year come together and celebrate Christmas.

With Christmas carols being sung and often live music midnight mass in Ireland is a great place to catch up with old friend and get in touch with the local community at Christmas.

2. Horse races on St. Stephen’s Day

St. Stephen is the patron saint of horses but I am almost positive that this is not the reason that the horse races in Ireland on St Stephen’s Day have become a tradition in Ireland. The races in Leopardstown, South Dublin attract almost 20,000 every year but I think this has little to do with the old Germanic tradition of racing horses on St Stephen’s Day to honor the saint.

In Ireland heading off to the races is a chance to get out of the house, stretch your legs, perhaps have a flutter on the horses and have a drink with friends.

3. Christmas Day Swim, Forty Foot, South Dublin

Christmas day swims take place all over Ireland on Christmas morning but probably most famously at the Forty Foot Rock, just south of Dublin. On Christmas Day hundreds of people can be seen jumping off the rock into the Irish Sea wearing only their bathing suits.

The water in the Irish Sea on Christmas Day is usually around 50F / 10C. Unfortunately the temperature outside the water is usually about have of this making the experience bracing to say the least. This is certainly not for the faint hearted but is a proven hangover cure and is participants often receive sponsorship for charities.

4. Reading of James Joyce’s story, “The Dead”

“The Dead” is a short story from James Joyce’s collection “Dubliners”. The story tells the tale of a group of Dubliners gather together for a Christmas celebration in James Joyce's transcendent tale of the banality and magic in life and death.
This tale has rather become like an Irish version of “The Christmas Carol” a tale of reflection on our past, our present and future.

5. Awful Christmas Sweaters

This started off as aunties, grandmothers and relatives handing over the most ugly sweaters as present for Christmas but somehow Christmas Sweaters have almost turned into a competition on the streets of Ireland. The woollier, hairier and more ridiculously decorated the better. In fact this year I spotted a gentleman with fake robins, bells and fairy lights all on one sweater.

6. Christmas Caroling / The Wren Boy Procession

During Penal Times a group of soldiers were about to be ambushed. They had been surrounded by a group of wrens pecked on their drums and woke them. The wren became known as “The Devil’s Bird”. To remember this on St Stephen’s Day people would have a procession and go door to door wearing old clothes, with blackened faces and a dead wren on top of the pole.

Thankfully this later evolved into a caroling. Although people no long go door to door, or at least very rarely, carollers can be heard on more main streets over Christmas raising money for charity. It there’s one thing the Irish love doing is making music and Christmas is the perfect excuse to make some noise.

7. USA boxes of biscuits

Recently I saw an Irish comic speak about USA biscuits for five minutes straight. It was only then that I realized that everyone I know has a tin of biscuits in the house over Christmas in the house when I was growing up.

Although there were the traditional mince pieces, pudding, and chocolates too the biscuits and the rules about the tin are something that everyone I’ve spoken to remembered. There were about 10 types of biscuits in each layer of the tin but you were not allowed to break through to the second layer without finishing the first layer. This would cause at least one fight a day among the family. The tins were also filled with biscuits like pink wafers and bourbon creams.

8. Decorations / Holly wreath

Christmas decorations in Ireland traditionally was just a wreath of holly on the front door of the house. However National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” seems to have been a blue print for many Irish household as they are  lit up like Rockefeller Center.

Also traditionally, decorations would go up on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and come down on Little Christmas January 6. However, this year I spotted full Christmas decorations on some houses in the first week of November. What can we say? The Irish love Christmas.

9. The shopaholics lament

Most stores are closed Christmas and Stephen’s Day but a brand new tradition sees more and more stores now opening after Christmas Day. This year because of the recession and dreadful weather it seems certain that more and more stores will take part.

10. Women’s Christmas / Nollaig na mBean

January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, is traditionally the Irish finish celebrating Christmas. It is also known as Nollaigh na mBean in Irish (Women’s Christmas).

Tradition has it that women get the day off and the men of the house get to do the housework, cooking and take down the Christmas decorations. Women meet up have a day out and treat themselves.