4 Irish Christmas Traditions That Have Lasted The Test Of Time

Christmas is all about tradition and while trends come and go, every family has its own traditions. Ireland and Irish people at home and all over the world have many true traditions when it comes to Christmas and the festive season.  

Here are 4 Irish Christmas traditions that have lasted the test of time...

The Holly Wreath
The Holly Wreath

As Christmas has become more commercialized, some traditions have still stayed with us and many Irish doors will still feature a beautiful traditional Christmas wreath. While many are now beautiful artificial decorative wreaths, many homes still choose the more traditional fresh holly and ivy. The tradition started back at the time of the Celts when wreaths of holly and ivy were hung outside homes to ‘protect’ those inside.

Christmas Stars
Christmas Stars
No matter what home you go to, stars will feature in Christmas decorations from the top of the tree to table settings to decorations. The idea of the Christmas star is not, as thought, to be the idea of the religious ‘follow the star’ story – although that is the meaning for some, but it actually stemmed from a pagan background when the Christmas tree would be decorated with solar symbols of the sun, moon and stars to represent the souls of those who had died.

Mistletoe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is celebrated in Christmas songs and yuletide poems and stories and is always a fun addition to any party or home. Many believe that it emerged in more modern times, but in fact it has a historical context in Ireland and was believed to have magical and health properties.

Yule Log
Yule Log
While Irish Christmas tables will feature a yule log which is usually edible, the tradition of the yule log started as a Celtic tradition. The log would be burned to brighten the darkness of winter and it was thought to be a good omen for times when the sun was low in the sky.

Take a new look at your Christmas traditions this year and spot the Irish and Celtic history!
Posted on December 7, 2018