It's time to launch our Twelve Days of Christmas Irish Gifts Giveaways. Please join me for a little bit of Irish fun and may the luck of the Irish be with you.
But first, let me say Happy Thanksgiving to all. This year I am ever so grateful for this wonderful community of readers, who enjoy and subscribe to my recipes and ramblings from this little corner of the internet.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such loyal readers and for sharing your heartfelt, warm and often poignant comments. Your love for Ireland and your Irish heritage is truly a joy to share, and warms my heart.
Some readers who follow along have no Irish heritage in their DNA, but they're Irish at heart. They feel Ireland calling to them, and love to learn about our history, culture and heritage. A hundred thousand welcomes to you. This is a space where everyone is welcome.
This year I would like to celebrate the holidays with you in good old Celtic style with a series of Irish gift giveaways. Together with Aidan from Gifts of Ireland, I'll showcase some lovely Irish prizes. All boast an Irish or Celtic theme and celebrate our culture and heritage.
This is my way of saying THANK YOU to you for choosing to be part of this little Irish American community.
And so, without further ado, let me show you our first lovely prize.
(A quick tip from Mom - Take a look at the video at the top or side of this post to see the prize in more detail)
Day 1 Prize: Rynhart Bronze Christmas Tree
Christmas trees will be going up this weekend, and to kick off the holiday season I chose this lovely Bronze Christmas Tree made by Rynhart Studios in County Cork.
This lovely framed piece is handmade in Ireland. It would look lovely hanging on your wall for Christmas or resting on your mantelpiece beside the fire.
The tree is decorated with beautiful Celtic scrolls and knotwork. This is a truly authentic piece of Irish home decor especially for Christmas.
This lovely piece of art was created in Glengarriff in West Cork along the Wild Atlantic Way by Rynhart Studios. Founded by Jeanne Rynhart in 1981, her most famous work is the Molly Malone bronze statue situated in Dublin.
Dear Old Molly Malone is one of the most beloved and visited statues in Ireland for both tourists and Irish people alike. A trip to Dublin is not complete unless you take a visit to see Molly.
Jeanne's daughter Audrey and her husband Les Elliot now run the art studio. They create stunning pieces that are lovlingly rendered with deep connections to Irish and Celtic culture.
We can see this in today's Christmas Tree prize, where the tree is created with interwoven Celtic knotwork.
The Irish word for Christmas tree is
Crann na Nollag
It is proununced phonetically like this - kron nah null-ag.
Check Out Our Video Prize Reveal
At the top of this post I've shared a short video featuring this lovely prize.
I met with Aidan from Gifts of Ireland in Dublin, and we shot an information video together showcasing each prize for our giveaway series.
Why not check it out, and get to know us a little better, plus you'll learn about Aidan's mission to bring Irish made, culturally significant gifts to the world.
How To Purchase Gifts From Gifts of Ireland
Aidan stocks a wide selection of gifts from Rynhart Studios.
You can purchase this lovely Celtic Christmas Tree through this link...
Plus Aidan has a Black Friday sale now on. For items over $50 you'll receive 20% off plus a free gift.
How To Enter Our Giveaway
One reader will win a Bronze Celtic Christmas Tree Framed Artpiece.
To enter simply leave a comment on this blog post by noon Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021.
You can write any comment. If you need inspiration why not let us know if you have any special Irish christmas ornament you hang on your Christmas tree? Or simply let us know about your favorite tree ornament that you hang with love each year.
If you live in Canada or Ireland, then please answer the following question in your comment by typing A, B or C for the correct answer ...
How do you say Christmas tree in Irish?
A. Crann na Nollag
B. Dadaí na Nollag
C. Oíche Nollaig
A winning comment will be chosen randomly using the Pick Giveaway Winner Wordpress plug-in.
Remember to leave your e-mail so that I can contact you should you win. Your e-mail won’t be published, just used to contact our winner for mailing of the prize.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021, at the bottom of this blog post.
You may check out Irish American Mom’s complete terms and conditions for sweepstakes’ entries here.
A bit thank you to all who support this giveaway and share it with family and friends. Why not spread a little Irish Christmas cheer with those you love this year?
Any many thanks to the good folks at Gifts of Ireland for so generously sponsoring this prize, and all the prizes in our 12 Days of Christmas Irish Gift Giveaways.
Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Day 2 of our Irish giveaways.
- May The Road Rise To Meet You Irish Blessing Plate Day Twelve Gift
- Irish Tweed Cap Day Eleven Prize
- Health, Love and Happiness Ogham Wishes Day Ten Gift
- Love, Loyalty and Friendship Irish Wall Art Day 9 Gift
- Celtic Pocket Watch By Mullingar Pewter Day 8 Gift
- Erin Knitwear Hat For Her Day Seven Gift
- Celtic Cross Silver Pendant Day Six Gift
- Donegal Tweed Scarf Day Five Christmas Gift
- Ireland Photo Frame Day Four Christmas Giveaway Prize
- Quiet Man Cottage - Day Three Prize For Christmas
- Day Two Of Our Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways
- Day One Of Our Twelve Days Of Christmas Giveaways
Update: Winner Chosen
Our first winner in our Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways has been randomly chosen using the Pick Giveaway Winner Plug-in for WordPress.
And the lucky reader is ….
Sandra Newman
I’ll send an email to arrange mailing of her prize. A big thank you to everyone for supporting this giveaway by leaving comments. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every comment.
Thank you all for supporting our Irish American community and our Irish Gifts Giveaway spree.
Have a safe and happy holiday season.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Disclosure: Irish American Mom LLC has an affiliate relationship with Gifts of Ireland which means I earn a small commission should you purchase an item through the links on my blog. The price you pay is not affected. Thank you for supporting this Irish business.
Blessings
- God Bless The Corners Of This House
- The Magic Of Christmas Lingers On
- May the Blessings Of Christmas Be With You
- Irish Sayings And Blessings For Troubled Times
Christmas Recipes
- Cider Glazed Carrots
- Cauliflower Cheese
- How To Steam A Christmas or Plum Pudding In A Crockpot.
- Easy And Delicious Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe
Lynn
Guess answer: A. So glad to see you're fully recovered from your injury and enjoying traveling again. You have a lovely accent and looked very naturally relaxed in the video. My father was Italian, but my mother was Irish, and he used to sing Sweet Molly Malone to her and all their children. He had a very good singing voice and would sing us to sleep as babies.
Irish American Mom
Hi Lynn - How lovely that your father sang Sweet Molly Malone to your Irish mom. Thankfully, my back has healed, just a little pain at the end of a long day. Thanks so much for watching our video. I'm glad you could understand my accent. Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting our giveaways.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Judy Albertie
I mostly know about Molly Malone because I am a huge Celtic Thunder fan and Emmet Cahill sings a song about her.
Irish American Mom
Hi Judy - Great to hear you are a fan of Celtic Thunder. The song Molly Malone is county anthem for Dublin. Thanks so much for following my recipes and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Barbara Pelcher
I agree with my friend Judy! We met through our mutual love of Celtic Thunder!
Irish American Mom
Hi Barbara - How wonderful that you met your friend Judy through your love of Irish music and Celtic Thunder. Thanks for stopping by.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Susan Egan
Such a wonderful, magical country! I was blessed to visit in 2019 and felt like I was home.
Irish American Mom
Hi Susan - Great to hear that you felt right at home in Ireland. Many Irish Americans feel a sense of home coming once they land in Ireland. Our love of Ireland is in our DNA.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Judy Albertie
My ancestors came here to South Carolina, USA, from Lurgan, Clanbrassil in County Armagh. I love all things Irish and wish I could see the most beautiful country in the world before I die.
Irish American Mom
Hi Judy – I hope you make it to Ireland and County Armagh someday soon. Lovely to hear you feel so connected to the land of your ancestors. Best of luck in our giveaway.
Take care,
Mairéad
Kelly
A. Crann na Nollag
Irish American Mom
Hi Kelly - Thanks for stopping by today.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Tawney Simmons
I would love to go back to Ireland, especially at Christmas time. To stroll through the Christmas markets and get lost in the countryside.
Irish American Mom
Hi Tawney - Ireland is lovely at Christmas time. Dublin lights up beautifully for the festive season, and many of the little towns and villages are illuminated for the holidays. It's a very special time in Ireland.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
George Dula
A. Crann na Nollag
I wish I'd seen the statue when in Dublin with my brother 2 years ago, we stayed at Tara. The Yule Tree is important to me, as are the holly and mistletoe.
Irish American Mom
Hi George - Next time you visit you'll have to say hello to Molly. Lovely to hear you had the opportunity to visit Ireland with your brother.
Thanks for your support of this giveaway.
All the best,
Mairéad
Angela Dougherty-Way
For sure have to see the statue. Love that they have one for her/ song! Love the old traditional Irish music. Today's giveaway is gorgeous!
Irish American Mom
Hi Angela - Irish traditional music and the old songs are fantastic. So much tradition! I love an Irish get together, when people perform their favorite songs and everyone sings along.
All the best,
Mairéad
Cat McCormick
What beautiful little tree, it reminds me of all the new trees being planted by The Forestry, for all the trees cut down years ago.
Irish American Mom
Hi Cat - What a lovely connection to make. This Celtic tree can be a symbol for the importance of trees in our lives. Our Celtic ancestors believed that trees were a very important part of the natural and spiritual worlds.Thanks for stopping by and for following my recieps and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Danielle Goodman
Crann na nollag
I am setting up Christmas tree this weekend. I have started collecting a new ornament each year.
Irish American Mom
Hi Danielle - Enjoy your tree decorating process this weekend. I hope you find a nice Irish ornament for your collection this year. Perhaps, if you win this one it can be your ornament for 2021.
Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ginger
Thank you Mairead for all you do. My favorite ornament from Ireland is a little wooly sheep, complete with a patch of green. It brings back wonderful memories exploring the west of Ireland.
Irish American Mom
Hi Ginger - It's lovely to hear you have a little Irish Christmas sheep to hang on your tree and take you on a trip down memory lane each year. Thanks for checking out my ramblings.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Kim Marazita
I came to Ireland a few years back. As soon as landed I had such a calmness come over me. It was so welcoming, feeling like home. I can't wait to come back to explore Donegal, this is where I've researched my ancestors came from. This year on my tree is a Irish Blessing that I received when I was there. Also, I'm just hanging a glass art peice I designed. Thank you for all you do.
SLÁN AGUS BEANNACHT,
Kim
Irish American Mom
Hi Kim - Lovely to hear you experience that feeling of coming home when you landed in Ireland. Hang your Irish blessing on your tree with pride this year. Nice to hear you are an artist and design glass art pieces. Thanks so much for following my recipes and ramblings.
Beannachtaí na féile ort freisin
(Blessings of the holiday to you too)
Mairéad
Deirdre OBrien
Mairead, you did a great job on the video.
The bronze Christmas Tree giveaway is a beautiful piece of art.
I have several Irish ornaments on my Christmas tree including a Claddagh Ring design.
Irish American Mom
Hi Deirdre - Thanks so much for watching the vidoe. We recorded one for each day of our giveaways, so I hope you'll like them all. Lovely to hear you celebrate your Irish heritage at Christmas time by decorating your tree with some Irish ornaments.
All the best,
Mairéad
Rebecca Mills
Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving! Now, on to Christmas! Wonder what your favorite Irish Christmas tradition is?
Irish American Mom
Hi Rebecca - My favorite Irish Christmas tradition is the practice of lighting a candle in the window on Christmas Eve to light the way for the Holy Family. I wrote about it here...
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/a-candle-in-the-window-an-irish-christmas-tradition/
Thanks for taking the time to join our giveaway.
All the best,
Mairéad
Terri
My big Christmas tree os decorated with symbols of nature, including birds, nests, pine cones, leaves, branches and boughs and trees. It reminds me of our connection to living things on this amazing earth that God created.
Irish American Mom
Hi Terri - What an amazing theme for your Christmas tree. I bet you smile every time you gaze at it over the holidays.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kathy Madden
My answer would be A. Crann na Nollag. My parents bought several Christmas ornaments the Christmas before I was born, especially for me. I still hang those ornaments 60 years later. As a new tradition I purchase a special ornament each year.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathy - Lovely to hear you have precious ornaments from your childhood. As you add to your collection, you can always consider adding a few Irish ornaments. Thanks for reading my ramblings,
All the best,
Mairéad
Ellen
Answer is A. We have our Crann na Nollaig up here in Texas; ordered some Tayto crisps from Food Ireland and settled in yesterday to watch the Toy Show on RTE Player. Moved from Cork almost 12 years ago but have managed to keep the toy show tradition alive since.
Irish American Mom
Hi Ellen - Lovely to hear you continue to watch the Toy Show each year, even though you're in Texas. We watch it every year too. It was wonderful this year. I lived in Texas for over 8 years, in Richardson between Dallas and Plano. I really enjoyed my time in Texas and fell in love with Tex Mex food. Thanks for stopping by to support this giveaway.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Sheila Kearney
Hi Mairead,
It is so wonderful you are doing this 12 days of Christmas! This Celtic Tree is beautiful! What a treasure! I love your blog and the emails I receive. You put so much work into it and it is so appreciated! My Irish heritage is from my father's side. I have such a love for Ireland and anything Irish. I was fortunate to be able to visit back in 2015. I loved it! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the Molly Malone statue. Hopefully, I will be able to come back one day. Thank you for bringing us from the US closer to Ireland.
Irish American Mom
Hi Sheila - Thanks for joining in our Christmas giveaway series. Thanks also for being such a loyal reader and for your kind words about my blog. It's lovely to know my ramblings are enjoyable. It does take quite a bit of time to keep up with everything and publish new posts regularly. Thanks for sharing your family's connections with Ireland. I'm so glad you appreciate the bits and pieces about Ireland and the Irish that I share.
All the best,
Mairéad
Margaret Marie
A...Crann na Nallog
What a treasure it would be to have a gift or gifts from Cork Ireland where my dear Irish Gramma is from! Beautiful artwork!
Irish American Mom
Hi Margaret Marie - This tree would be perfect for you. Best of luck in our giveaway.
Take care,
Mairéad