A trip to the theater to see a pantomime is an Irish Christmas tradition that dates back many years. These shows run in theaters all over Ireland from December, right through January. The days after Christmas are a favorite time to go see a pantomime or “panto” as we say for short. This is a […]
A Dip In The Forty Foot – A Dublin Christmas Tradition
Taking a plunge in the icy waters of the Irish sea off Dublin’s coastline is a Christmas Day tradition in Ireland’s capital city. This is not a feat for the faint of heart. Throngs of hardy Dubliners brave the freezing waters off the Forty Foot in Sandycove, one of Ireland’s most historic bathing spots. […]
A Candle In The Window – An Irish Christmas Tradition
Lighting a candle in the window is a Christmas Eve memory I cherish from my Irish childhood. Every Christmas Eve we placed a single red candle in the window. My mother always told me we were lighting the way for Mary and Joseph on their way to find the stable in Bethlehem. Our family candle […]
Why Graveyards Remind Me Of Christmas
Visiting our departed loved ones at Christmas is an age old Irish tradition. My childhood memories of Christmas Day include a trip to the local cemetery to say a prayer at the gravesides of our deceased relatives and friends. To many this may seem a very grave matter for Christmas time, but if like me […]
An Irish Christmas – Ancient Rural Traditions
Christmas in Ireland, as I remember, is different from how Christmas was celebrated by our forefathers in the 19th century. By the time I was born in the 1960’s, Ireland had adopted many English and European customs, such as Christmas trees, plum puddings, and Santa Claus. Ireland’s Christmas traditions evolved and changed over the years, […]
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