A Beginner’s Guide to a Traditional Irish Christmas

After the Late Late Toy Show aired on Friday 25 November, it became official: Christmas season is finally upon us (and what a delight that is!) 

With Christmas comes many traditions, rituals, and routines that have been passed down through generations of people living in Ireland. To celebrate the beginning of the festive season, we at the Silver Hand Journal would love to acquaint you with, or perhaps simply remind you of, some the most cherished Irish Christmas traditions!  

Culchie Christmas  

If there is one custom that we are all partial to at Christmas time, it’s Christmas shopping. For Culchies specifically (that is anyone outside of County Dublin), this is a particularly big deal. On the 8 December, it is tradition for the residents of Ireland’s beautiful countryside to venture out on their annual outing to ‘the Big Smoke’ i.e., Dublin City.  

December 8 being a holy day, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, meant that Irish Catholics were obliged to attend Mass on this day, and consequently had a day off work and school. This resulted in Ireland’s ‘country people’ flocking to Dublin City to see the Christmas lights on Henry Street and Grafton Street, maybe bringing the little ones to see Santy in his grotto, and most importantly, doing the last of their Christmas shopping. 

Though this tradition is practiced much less nowadays (and there is a lot of discourse surrounding what classifies a person as a ‘culchie’) I can guarantee that you will still hear talk of ‘Culchie Day’ or ‘Culchie Christmas’ this December.  

The Late Late Toy Show  

Perhaps the most cherished tradition in Ireland today is The Late Late Toy Show. Originally hosted by Gay Byrne and presently hosted by Ryan Tubridy, The Late Late Toy Show is the special Christmas episode of the long-running Irish talk show, The Late Late Show. This 2-hour segment of prime Irish telly showcases the most sought-after toys of the year and puts a great emphasis on Irish-owned products and businesses. Children from all over the country audition to be featured on the show as the show’s official toy-testers. They then enthusiastically show off all their favourite toys to the audience with the aid of the show host, Ryan Tubridy. 

In more recent years, the programme has also featured children showing off their talents, from singing to dancing to acrobatics, along with an extravagant musical opening number performed by Tubridy alongside the kids. 

The Christmas Swim 

Many of the braver people of Ireland choose to face the cold Irish Sea on Christmas morning. This annual tradition of taking to the water takes place all over Ireland, but most popularly at The Forty Foot, in Sandycove, County Dublin. This promontory has been a favoured swimming spot in Ireland for years now. Although originally it was classified as a ‘male only’ swimming spot, it is now enjoyed by all genders throughout the year, but is especially popular on Christmas morning. Some swimmers take to the freezing cold water in aid of charity fundraisers, and some just swim for fun.  

Should you choose to participate in this tradition (whether your courage is fuelled by the Christmas spirit of giving, or just pure insanity) you will be sure to find many a swimmer at the Forty Foot this Christmas.  

Nollaig na mBan  

The 6 of January marks ‘Nollaig na mBan’ or ‘Women’s Christmas’. In past years this day was celebrated by women all over the country as it was a day when they could endow all of their responsibilities as homemakers to the men of the house. While the men looked after the home and its occupants, ladies got to lounge with their friends over drinks and various meals as a well-earned reward and break for all of their hard work over the Christmas season. Nowadays this tradition is less eminent though it can be (and often is) used by ladies as an excuse to go out and spend time with friends and family.  

Leftover sandwiches and other ground-breaking dishes 

One cannot write about Christmas traditions without mentioning the most important aspect of the entire season – the food. Irish people have a lot of traditions when it comes to food but in this piece, I will highlight what I have named the three most important/significant meals of the season.  

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and as a child in Ireland on Christmas this is especially true. It is custom to receive a chocolate selection box as a gift on Christmas morning which serves as your breakfast (and often lunch too) to fuel you up for a day of celebrating.  

From one sweet treat to another, the iconic Christmas pudding is of course a treasured tradition in Ireland. Many say that traditionally the pudding should have 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the 12 disciples, and that the flames that comes from dowsing the pudding in brandy and setting it alight represents the Passion of Christ.  

Finally, if there is one thing you can rely on an Irish person to do, it’s to make sandwich out of anything. This sentiment rings true especially after Christmas. Typically, on St Stephen’s Day (26 December) the leftover turkey, ham, stuffing, and other bits from the Christmas dinner are placed between two layers of bread along with a heaping of Irish made butter and some cheese and onion Tayto crisps. Often these sandwiches are more yearned for than the dinner itself.