Explore Christmas traditions at the Museum of Country Life
BEANNACHTAÍ na Nollag oraibh, from all of the team at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life.
Thank you for visiting and following the National Museum of Ireland in 2021 and we look forward to engaging with you in person and online through our 2022 programme.
Please do visit your museum this Christmas. Our public spaces and galleries have plenty of room for you to immerse yourself in culture in a safe and enjoyable way. In the meantime, explore some Christmas traditions below with Clodagh Doyle, Keeper of the Irish Folklife Collection.
The Christmas card
John Horsley and Henry Cole produced the first Christmas card in England in 1843. Christmas cards became useful substitutes for the Christmas letter or personal visit. Their popularity increased with developments in colour printing, the introduction of the penny post in 1840 and the development of the Christmas card in America in 1875.
Christmas tree and decorations
Christmas trees were introduced to the wealthy of Britain and Ireland in the 1840s by Prince Albert. Most other homes were decorated with evergreens such as holly, ivy and laurel. Children in Ireland were told that an angel stood on each spike of the holly leaves and that on Christmas Eve, no prayer was left unanswered. Christmas trees became popular throughout Ireland from the mid-20th century onwards.
The Nativity
Many believe that the first crib was created by St. Francis of Assisi, to depict the birth of Christ. Most families in Ireland had a crib, and the children would collect moss to decorate it. The Baby Jesus would not be placed in the crib until Christmas Morning.
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, many people in Ireland attended confession and midnight Mass. Following Mass, many ate a supper of saltling (white fish), potatoes and onion sauce. After the Rosary was said, children were given treats, and the Christmas log (a symbol of light) was lit. In some homes, a dish of water was left on the windowsill. It was believed that the Holy Family would bless it as they passed by, giving it curative properties. Three places were also set at the table for the Holy Family.
Many families would light candles for relatives who had died that year and doors were left open to welcome the spirit of the deceased family members into the home.
Christmas Day
Preparations for Christmas Day included a thorough cleaning of the house and farmyard, and stocking up on special purchases of seasonal foods and other treats. After attending religious services on Christmas Day, the men played sports while the women cooked a special meal and the children enjoyed the toys they had received as Christmas gifts.
Christmas night
On Christmas night, a candle was left lighting on the table. It was believed that the Blessed Virgin passed every door on Christmas Night and by having a candle lighting, it would bring great blessings to the family during the New Year.
St. Stephen's Day
On December 26 - St. Stephen's Day - the Wren Boys paraded the body of a small bird from house to house. Dressed in disguise, they carried the wren in a small, decorated box. At each home they asked for money to ‘bury the wren’. In return, they entertained the household with their songs and jokes. The money collected was usually spent a few days later on a ‘Wren Party’.
Mummers
Mummers were actors who, over the 12 days of Christmas, performed an ancient form of theatre in verse. The main characters in the performance were two battling heroes, and a doctor who revives the one that falls. This tradition continues today in some parts, particularly in the north of the country.
Women’s Christmas
The Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January is a Christian festival celebrating the visit of the Three Wise Men to Baby Jesus. It is a holy day of obligation in Ireland. It is also popularly known as Twelfth Night and it is considered unlucky to remove Christmas decorations before this date. In Ireland, it is also known as ‘Nollaig na mBan’, ‘Women’s Christmas’, as it is traditional for the men to cook and the women to rest.
Christmas opening hours
Admission to the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park House & Gardens is free. The exhibition galleries are open throughout the Christmas period except for Christmas Eve (closed at 12.30 p.m.), Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day.
Normal opening hours resume on Monday, December 27. Normal opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday to Monday from 1 to 5 p.m.
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