Irish Christmas Cookbook

Irish Christmas Cookbook: Recipes for the Holiday Season

 In Ireland, Christmas lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast of Epiphany on January 6th, which is called “Little Christmas.” Some people in Ireland people put a tall, thick candle on the sill of the largest window after sunset on Christmas Eve. The candle is left to burn all night and represents a welcoming light for Mary and Joseph. In Irish (or Gaelic) Christmas is 'Nollaig', Santa Claus is known as “San Nioclás” (Saint Nicholas) or “Daidí na Nollag” (Father Christmas) and Merry Christmas is “Nollaig Shona Dhuit.” Santa visits Irish children on Christmas Eve and leave presents for them under the Christmas tree. The day after Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day (known as Boxing Day), is also very important in Ireland. One very old tradition is the Wren Boys Procession that takes place on St. Stephen's Day. This goes back to ancient times when a wren was killed and carried around in a holly bush. Today, no wren is killed. Young men and women dress up in costumes and go from house to house carrying a long pole with a holly bush tied to its top and singing the following rhyme, accompanied of violins, accordions, harmonicas and horns: 'The wren, the wren, the king of all birds On St. Stephen's day was caught in the furze.' People also ask for money 'for the starving wren'! The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) was also celebrated in some towns in Ireland as 'Nollaig na mBean' or Women's Christmas. Traditionally the women got the day off and the men do the housework and cooking! Traditional Christmas food in Ireland include a round cake, full of caraway seeds or a Christmas Cake as well as turkey or spiced beef and Christmas Pudding.