| Christmas in Ireland | |
|---|---|
 Christmas lights in Dublin, 2007 | |
| Official name | Lá Nollag |
| Significance | marking the birth of Jesus |
| Celebrations | Christmas tree decorations, church services |
| Begins | 8 December |
| Ends | 6 January |
| Date | 25 December |
| Next time | 25 December 2024 |
| Frequency | annual |
| Related to | Advent |
Christmas in Ireland is the annual festival which marks the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus and its related observances, but also incorporates some pre-Christian customs. These customs range from the traditional food and drink consumed, decorations and rituals, as well as more modern phenomena such as the Christmas day swim and annual television and radio events. The modern Irish Christmas has become more similar to that of the British and American festive period, with emphasis on gift buying and parties.[1]
Historically, for Irish Catholics, the festive period began on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, with many putting up their decorations and Christmas trees on that day, and runs through until 6 January, or Little Christmas.[2][3] The greeting for "Happy Christmas" in Irish is Nollaig Shona Duit [singular] (IPA: [ˌn̪ˠɔl̪ˠəɟ ˈhɔnˠə d̪ˠɪtʲ]) or Nollaig Shona Daoibh [plural] (IPA: [ˌn̪ˠɔl̪ˠəɟ ˈhɔnˠə d̪ˠiːvʲ]). The literal translation of this is "Happy Christmas to you".
- ^ McGarry, Marion (2020). Irish customs and rituals : how our ancestors celebrated life and the seasons. Dublin. pp. 80–91. ISBN 978-1-78605-095-3. OCLC 1199330233.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Jordan, Ailbhe; Lyne, Laura (26 November 2018). "When should I put my Christmas tree and decorations up?". DublinLive. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ Byrne, Nicola (1 December 2018). "Are you putting up your Christmas Tree today? · The Daily Edge". www.dailyedge.ie. Retrieved 8 December 2020.