Christmas in 19th Century Ireland by Juliane Weber

Christmas in 19th Century Ireland

by Juliane Weber

On a dark hillside, a flickering candle alights, followed by another and another. Before long, the countryside is dotted with small twinkling flames, like a shower of stars descended from the heavens. Such a scene would have greeted many an Irish family on their way to midnight mass on Christmas eve in the 19th century. With dim turf fires warming cottages in those days, the Irish countryside would have been dark as pitch on a regular winter night, making the Christmas transformation all the more spectacular. Tradition had it that candles were placed in all the windows on Christmas Eve, to light the way for the Christ Child on this holy night –and to make for some magical scenery besides. Homes were also decorated with evergreen branches, an ancient ritual promising the return of spring in the darkness of winter, while nativity scenes were played out in straw and wood. And what is a good Christmas celebration without a feast? Crispy roast goose with bread stuffing, spiced beef and boiled ham were a welcome addition to buttery winter vegetables for those who could afford it. Finished off with a Christmas cake generously drenched in whiskey, leftovers were made to last as long as possible over the twelve days of Christmas to maintain a festive air. On the day after Christmas, folks would dress in old clothes and adorn themselves with bits of straw in celebration of St. Stephen’s Day. Visiting neighbouring cottages, these “wrenboys” would sing, dance and play music in exchange for food and drink, or the occasional coin – a tradition still maintained in some places in Ireland today. When the New Year was welcomed a few days later, everyone stayed up until midnight, leaving cottage doors open to let the air from the old year out and from the new year in.

Of course, farm and housework could not be neglected between these various celebrations, as normal life with its everyday chores continued alongside. It was also customary to give cottages a thorough cleaning and whitewash in the days leading up to Christmas, which no doubt added to the anticipation felt as the last day of Christmas drew near – a day eagerly awaited by the women in particular. Nollaig na mBan, also known as Little Christmas or Women’s Christmas, was a day on which the women got together to celebrate while the men stayed at home and took care of the children and the household. Now that seems like an excellent way to round out the festive season!

Did you know?

Christmas trees started becoming popular in Great Britain in the 19th century, after Queen Victory adopted the tradition from her German husband, Prince Albert. Evergreen trees were decorated with confectionary and paper creations, as well as small candles. Although beautiful, the lit candles were something of a hazard. With no fool-proof method of attaching them, the candles could easily set fire to the tree and, indeed, Christmas tree fires were a common occurrence until the invention of artificial lights.

Nollaig shona duit!

Juliane Weber is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on actionpacked romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland. Get the first two books for FREE from 15-19 December! Find out more at julianeweber.com