A Handcrafted Christmas

The Christmas tradition I love the most is making gifts to people we know together.This is my mum and my brother who are getting very busy with a paintable nativity scene we got in a hobby shop. We also made cards and tree decorations. We roasted chestnuts and my dad played Christmas music on the PC.We had such a wonderful time. I hope by now everyone got their pressies, cards  and are very happy with them.This might be a bit off but I actually like the preparing and waiting the most in this season. Although I plan to do lot of things every year I don't get to finish them all. Some times i think that if I had started a year advanced still I wouldn't be able to finish in time. I always put things I cannot finish aside and get them ready the next year I think this is the best way not to make the season too stressful for me. I had a lot of orders through my shop and was bogged down with those a lot, which did not allow me to do a lot in the days. I know you might have heard this a thousand times before but anything handmade is the best you can give and I am happy that my family is not globalized in this way and we might encourage others to startthes tradition of a Handcrafted Christmas.

Irish Christmas Traditions

I was reading a book on Christmas traditions in other countries. We have our traditions which are really different to habits in the other part of the world.I have to say that I exceptionally adore the Swedish traditions mostly St Lucia's day. I'd love to know if that is still a living tradition and be part of it once.Actually I could lose my heart to try all the different christmases.Regrettably there was no mention of Ireland in the book. I needed to make some research to find some past traditions. Here they are:

Ireland, like most countries, has a number of Christmas traditions that are all of its own. Many of these customs have their root in the time when the Gaelic culture and religion of the country were being supressed and it is perhaps because of that they have survived into modern times.

THE CANDLE IN THE WINDOW

The placing of a lighted candle in the window of a house on Christmas eve is still practised today. It has a number of purposes but primarily it was an symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter.

The candle also indicated a safe place for priests to perform mass as, during Penal Times this was not allowed.

A further element of the tradition is that the candle should be lit by the youngest member of the household and only be extinguished by a girl bearing the name 'Mary'.

THE LADEN TABLE

After evening meal on Christmas eve the kitchen table was again set and on it were placed a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door to the house was left unlatched so that Mary and Joseph, or any wandering traveller, could avail of the welcome.

THE WREN BOY PROCESSION

During Penal Times there was once a plot in a vilage against the local soldiers. They were surrounded and were about to be ambushed when a group of wrens pecked on their drums and awakened the soldiers. The plot failed and the wren became known as 'The Devil's bird'.

On St. Stephens day a procession takes place where a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to house and families dress up in old clothes and with blackened faces. In olden times an actual wren would be killed and placed on top of the pole.

This custom has to a large degree disappeared but the tradition of visiting from house to house on St. Stephens Day has survived and is very much part of Christmas.

DECORATIONS:

The placing of a ring of Holly on doors originated in Ireland as Holly was one of the main plants that flourished at Christmas time and which gave the poor ample means with which to decorate their dwellings.

All decorations are traditionally taken down on Little Christmas (January 6th.) and it is considered to be bad luck to take them down beforehand.

TRADITIONAL GAELIC SALUTATION

The Gaelic greeting for 'Merry Christmas' is:
'Nollaig Shona Duit'
......which is pronounced as 'null-ig hun-a dit'.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Irish Christmas Traditions - An article provided by The Information about Ireland Site.