Finding your way to Ireland this year? Make it a little bit of fun when you set out to collect a treasure! Ireland is not like many other places in this world. In fact, it is considered to be one of the luckiest places by both legend and folklore. Planning a trip here is where […]
Resolve to Evolve; Whatever That Means For You
Have you ever heard the expression “resolve to evolve?” Well, what that can mean to you and to another is probably deeply personal. It’s the new year, so say hooray! Well, just because the actual event itself is over, doesn’t mean that we aren’t still in a bit of a new mode. The new year […]
Don’t Touch that Tree – Christmas Isn’t Over Yet!
Christmas has 12 days. Why celebrate just the first one? You have no doubt heard the famous carol The Twelve Days of Christmas; perhaps you’ve even heard the hilarious Irish spoof on it. But you know which days are the 12 days of Christmas or why there are 12 of them? Traditionally, Christmas begins on […]
How to Make Time for Christmas Reflection
Don’t know what to do after the presents are opened and the big day is over? Here are a few suggestions. The build up to Christmas is kind of a big deal. We used to start up right after Thanksgiving, but even recently, that hasn’t been considered enough time to get ready for Christmas, especially […]
Ireland Seems to Love Him, but Who Was St. Stephen?
In Ireland, St. Stephen’s Day is a holiday and St. Stephen’s Green is a beloved, popular Dublin park. So who was Stephen? The second day of Christmas is December 26th, and in Ireland, we celebrate St. Stephen’s Day on that day. Now, the customs such as hunting the wren and the straw costumes are more […]
An Irish Christmas for the Littlest
Who relies on this holiday most? For Christmas, make it best for the youngest. For Christmas, the most impressionable minds are the youngest ones. Realize that when you shop for Christmas, it usually means that many people will be on that Christmas, gift list. We shop for our husbands and wives, our moms and dads, […]
Saint Nicholas’s Last Stop Was Ireland
Hey Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! Who doesn’t love Santa Claus? If there is one well-known fact about Christmas it is that it is a very magical time of the year. Christmas time is a period where even the least hopeful types somehow manage to muster a small amount of optimism. I’m not sure if […]
More Powerful than E-mail: the American Letter
A long time ago, Ireland was effected by an incredible famine which riddled the country with strife. People were starving and when people are not getting the bare essential of food, it is common for times to turn desperate. Worry turns into concern which then easily turns into panic. However, during such a time, it […]
Tis the Season for Joyce
James Joyce might not seem like the most Christmasy and festive of Irish writers, but he does have a special resonance at this time of year. Yes, those who have a week or so of extra free time during horrible weather do have a great chance to try (again) to tackle Ulysses, but there is […]
Knots for Christmas. How to Bring them to Your Holiday
Celtic knots are ancient symbols. When they are worn, they literally embody great messages from the past. It is interesting since today, such old emblems can still fit in well with fashion and what we wear. However, I think it is easy for people to misunderstand just how deep their meaning is unless they grasp […]