25 Irish Christmas Facts And Traditions You Might Not Know

In short: Irish Christmas has its own traditions: pubs close by law on Christmas Day, a candle goes in the window on Christmas Eve, Santa gets a pint of Guinness, thousands swim in the sea on Christmas morning, and the season ends with Women’s Christmas on 6 January. Here are 25 Irish Christmas facts and traditions you might not know.

Tis the season! Christmas in Ireland is a mix of old customs, big family dinners and a few traditions you won’t find anywhere else. Here are 25 facts about Christmas in Ireland, plus a few about Christmas in general.

Pubs close on Christmas Day. In the Republic of Ireland, pubs are closed by law on Christmas Day. That makes Christmas Eve one of the busiest nights of the year, as people meet up with friends home from abroad.
A candle in the window. Many Irish families light a candle in the front window on Christmas Eve. Traditionally it was a welcome for Mary and Joseph, and a sign that no traveller would be turned away. Today it is also a quiet nod to family members who can’t make it home.
Santa gets a pint. In plenty of Irish homes, Santa is left a bottle of Guinness or a drop of whiskey with his mince pie, instead of a glass of milk.
The Late Late Toy Show. The Late Late Toy Show on RTÉ, broadcast in late November or early December, is usually the most-watched programme of the year in Ireland. Children review the year’s toys, and families watch in their Christmas pyjamas.
The Christmas Day swim. Thousands of people jump into the freezing sea on Christmas morning, from the Forty Foot in Sandycove to beaches all around the coast, often raising money for charity.
Midnight Mass. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is still a big part of Christmas for many Irish families, even those who rarely go to church the rest of the year.
Christmas dinner is turkey and ham. The classic Irish Christmas dinner is turkey and ham together, with roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, stuffing and gravy. Read more about Irish Christmas food.
Cork has spiced beef. In Cork, Christmas isn’t complete without spiced beef, a salt beef cured with spices. Here’s our spiced beef recipe.
The cake is made months ahead. A proper Irish Christmas cake is baked weeks or even months before Christmas and “fed” with whiskey or brandy. Try our Irish Christmas cake recipe.
Happy Christmas, not Merry Christmas. Irish people tend to say “Happy Christmas”. In Irish it’s Nollaig Shona Duit. Learn more ways to say Merry Christmas in Irish.
St Stephen’s Day is a big day out. 26 December is St Stephen’s Day in Ireland. It’s a day for visiting family, a walk, a match or the races: the Leopardstown Christmas Festival starts on St Stephen’s Day.
Wren Day. In parts of Ireland, especially Dingle in Kerry, “wren boys” dress up in straw suits and masks on St Stephen’s Day and parade through the streets with music. Read the story of Wren Day.
Women’s Christmas. 6 January is Nollaig na mBan, or Women’s Christmas, when women traditionally took a well-earned rest after the Christmas rush. It’s celebrated in Cork and Kerry especially. More on Nollaig na mBan.
Decorations come down on 6 January. It’s traditionally bad luck to leave Christmas decorations up after Little Christmas on 6 January.
Newgrange and the winter solstice. At dawn around the winter solstice, sunlight shines down the passage of Newgrange in Co. Meath and lights up the inner chamber, as it has for over 5,000 years. Places inside are given out by lottery.
Christmas is a homecoming. For generations of emigrants, Christmas has meant coming home. The arrivals hall at Dublin Airport in the week before Christmas is one of the most emotional places in the country.
There’s no public transport on Christmas Day. Buses and trains don’t run on Christmas Day in Ireland, so plan ahead if you’re visiting. See our visitor’s guide to Christmas in Ireland.
Holly and ivy were the original decorations. Before tinsel, Irish homes were decorated with holly and ivy gathered from the hedgerows, and holly is still a favourite.
Fairytale of New York is the anthem. Released in 1987 by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, Fairytale of New York is the unofficial Irish Christmas anthem, and you’ll hear it in every pub in December.
Christmas jumpers and selection boxes. Every Irish child expects at least one selection box of chocolate at Christmas, and Christmas jumper days raise money for charity in schools and offices.
Xmas is not disrespectful. The “X” in Xmas comes from the Greek letter chi, the first letter of Christos, Greek for Christ.
The word Christmas is very old. It comes from the Old English Cristes mæsse, meaning Christ’s Mass.
Christmas trees came late. Decorated Christmas trees became popular in Ireland and Britain in the 1800s, after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made them fashionable.
Mistletoe has pagan roots. The druids and other ancient Europeans saw mistletoe as sacred. Kissing under it is a much later custom.
The Irish give Christmas blessings. A Christmas card in Ireland often carries a blessing. Find one in our Irish Christmas blessings.