Want to wish your friends and family
Merry Christmas in Irish this season? Well that's easy simply tell them
"Nollaig Shona Dhuit" pronounced NO-Lihg HO-nuh ghwich and literally
translated means Happy Christmas. Today in Ireland, the most commonly
used greeting during the holiday season is "Happy Christmas." Our
Irish Blessing and
Claddagh Wreath Christmas cards will also do the trick.
Are you looking for a warm and heartfelt Irish blessing for Christmas? Our
Irish Blessing Bread Warmers and
Christmas Blessing Ornaments are perfect. Try this Irish Christmas Blessing....
"The light of the Christmas star to you, The warmth of home and
hearth to you, The cheer and good will of friends to you, The hope of a
childlike heart to you, The joy of a thousand angels to you, The love
of the Son and God's peace to you."
In Ireland fall is the time of the year to make the house ready for
the upcoming holiday celebrations. An Irish home is cleaned top to
bottom. Special holiday Irish Linens, like our
12 Days of Christmas Tea Towel are brought out of storage. Once all is clean it is ready for festive Christmas decorating and a cozy turf fire! Cuddle up to our exclusive
Irish Country Candles with our popular scents like
Turf Fire and
Celtic Winter. And for those more romantic winter evenings try our
Celtic Love Spell Candle.
Did you know that "Holly and Holly Wreaths" were Irish traditions
too? Yep, that's right. No Irish home would be complete without the
holly. Holly grows wild in Ireland and is used to decorate the entire
house. The Celtics believed holly represented life and rebirth much like the
Tree of Life. The
evergreen leaves symbolized life during a time when all else was bare
and the red berries represented the coming of Spring. With the coming
of Christianity to Ireland the berries took on a new meaning, new life
in Christ. One charming folklore says holly is put out as a kind
gesture to tiny
fairies who might use it as a hiding place to come in
out of the cold if ou don't have a proper
Magical Fairy Door. Holly wreaths as a door decoration can be traced to
North American Irish immigrating to the US during the Great Potato
Famine.
The ancient Celts believed that mistletoe had healing powers. Its
powers were so great that its presence encourage a brief truce among
enemies. Hence the Victorian era custom of kissing under the mistletoe.
So turn up the
Irish Christmas Music, start playing your
Bodhráns, hang the mistle toe and let the kissing begin!
Do you put a candle in the window at Christmas time as part of your
decoration? Well, guess what that's an Irish Christmas tradition too!
Candles in the window date back to ancient time's laws of hospitality
towards stronger. To have a light in your window on Christmas Eve to
welcome the stranger meant that you were welcoming the Holy Family too.
To have no light meant that you shared the guilt of the Innkeeper at
Bethlehem who said, "No Room"!
In Ireland they have traditional holiday foods. The Irish Christmas
cooking usually starts early with the making of
plum pudding,
fruit cakes, breads, and spiced beef. A traditional Irish Christmas meal
might consist of roasted goose, potatoes, cranberry sauce,
vegetables, sausages, puddings, and yummy fruit cakes. Our
Fecking Book of Irish Recipes has all the traditional Irish recipes like Irish Soda Bread and Bread Pudding for the holidays with a bit od Irish humor as well. Our yummy
Irish chocolate bars are the perfect holiday stocking stuffers.
Don't forget you can always start your own Irish Christmas traditions ... like hanging a
St. Brigid's Cross in the door way for triming your tree with Irish ornaments like our
Doors of Ireland ornament.
Most of all don't forget to toast your family and friends on Christmas with a lovely
Irish Coffee after dinner.
Impress your family and firends with a "Wee Bit -O- Irish" this holiday
season. Try this Irish Christmas Toasts In Gealic, "Nollaig faoi shéan
is faoi shonas duit." It means "A prosperous and happy Christmas to
you."
