Irish Christmas traditions:

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'.

Irish wedding traditions:

Irish Wedding Ring

An Irish bride' wedding ring is called a Claddagh ring. It is a heart held by two hands with a crown. The hands represent faith, the crown symbolizes honor and the heart signifies love. If the hands are worn pointing out the woman is single, but if the hands are facing out, the woman is wed.

Wedding Day Traditions in Ireland

An old Irish tradition calls for the couple getting married to walk together to the church together, to exchange their wedding vows. As they walked down the main street, to the chapel, onlookers would not only throw rice to bless the marriage, but larger items as well, such as pots and pans.

The traditional Irish bride might wear a blue wedding dress on her wedding day, believing blue to be a lucky color. English lavendar, an herb, is often mixed with her wedding flower. It is traditional for the bride to braid her hair, as this is considered a sacred way to keep feminine power and luck.

St. Patrick's Day is considered one of the luckiest wedding anniversary dates in Ireland.

An Irish Honeymoon

The Irish translation for "honeymoon" is mi na meala, which means the month of honey. It was an Irish custom for the newlyweds to spend a month together drinking honeyed wine, secluded, in case their families tried to separate them. Especially if they had eloped.