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 […]
Tag: Irish Culture
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 […]
Battered but Not Broken, Dublin Survives Brutal Invasion
Americans have Black Friday. The Irish have something far more frightening. Culchie Shopping Day. They rose before the first light yesterday, hustling to get ready for the planned assault on the nation’s capital. Taking sandwiches and biscuits along with bags for the loot they expected to bring home, they left their homes early to travel […]
Irish-Inspired Stocking Stuffers & Charms!
There are two types of Christmas presents out there. There are the classic, old-fashioned ones that we place under the tree and that we spend much of our time wrapping into pretty, little or big packages. Then, there are the stocking stutffers. Now, what are those exactly? Stockings have been a part of Christmas […]