Women’s Christmas in Ireland
Women’s Christmas
While generally known for their boisterous nature when going out, New Year’s in Ireland is typically a quieter affair. There is, of course, your typical fireworks and drinking on New Year's Eve, but at the start of the New Year, most people in Ireland spend it with their families. There are many who go walking on the hills or beaches to mark the start of the new year, and many towns and villages organize New Year’s Dips, which are short swims in the cold waters of the Irish Sea or Atlantic Ocean.
Much more intriguing, however, is something that happens on January 6th. Little Christmas is a popular tradition among Irish Christians. Originating from the 1580s, the Irish adopted this day as Nollaig na mBan,' Women's Christmas’. On this day the men of the household would take on what would have been considered the traditional “Female” roles of the house in order to give the women the day off. Women would go to the pub and socialize with friends, leaving all the domestic work to the men for the day. It was also traditional for children to give their mothers and grandmothers presents on this day, though Mother's Day has almost completely taken over in the modern world. In Co. Cork, however, Nollaig na mBan is still going strong. Many bars and restaurants in Cork city reported a nearly 100% female clientele on Jan 6th.