Join us in Korea!

You all remember my friend Nut, right? Well guess what she's back! This time to share Christmas in Korea. She and her family just recently got home (as in this past year) from a 4 year (sorry Nut it felt a lot longer but it was only 4, right?) term as missionaries on the Korean island of Jeju. I know she gets "homesick" fo rthe island often but being the trooper she is she put together a little peek at Christmas in Korea for us!

South Korea is a Buddhist and Shamanist country. Because of this, Christmas, in the past has held no great meaning for them. It was and in many cases, still is, just another day in the lives of most Koreans. In the past 100 years Christianity has spread throughout South Korea which brought with it, a small Christmas celebration. There is no large present exchange or tons of parties. You won't see Santa on every street corner or nativities placed throughout the town. However, on Christmas Day you will see that all the Christian Churches are open for a special worship services. They usually meet for an early morning prayer time (at about 5 am). Then they come back together for a worship service at 10. They break for lunch and fellowship and continue with a second worship service around 2 pm.

Every year that we were there, we did see more and more in the lines of Christmas decorations. Stores might have a small Christmas Tree or Snowman in the window. The International Wal-mart actually had fake Christmas Trees for sale. The town center will often decorate the trees with lights now. However, they still don't pause to celebrate on Christmas day.

If you wait a month or so, Koreans celebrate one of their two largest holidays of the year. Seol-ral or the Korean Lunar New Year (more commonly known as Chinese New Year) is a 3 day celebration. Koreans will travel to their home town where the entire family will meet for a celebration!

On the first day of celebration the Koreans will all dress in their tradition hanboks. They then perform a ceremony honoring their ancestors. After the ceremony at home, the entire family will drive to the grave site of their ancestors and perform a public ceremony honoring them. They then have a picnic at the grave. The traditional food eaten is dok-guk. It is a rice-cake soup that is absolutely delicious. They will leave soup, rice, and wine at the grave for the ancestors as they leave.

Children will bow to their elders as a sign of respect and in return they are given white envelopes filled with money. The adults often exchange gifts of well-being. The gifts they exchange are much more practical than the ones we exchange. They will give gift baskets of fruits and vegetables. It is common to see gifts boxes of spam, dove bar soap, socks, handkerchiefs, tissue, juice boxes, and other items used on a daily basis. Families will often spend the days playing tradition games such as yut and nol-twigi or go flying kites.

Seol-ral actually begins on Jan. 29 and continues through the first day of the new month. It is a time of the year that families look forward to all year long, much like we do for Christmas

Peanut!

And now I have a craving to go fly a kite myself! Especially with Mary Poppins playing in the background! Thank you again Nut for rescuing me from bloggy boredom.

For those of you playing along, I do believe our next stop is Japan (possibly this evening) and then to Australia tomorrow.

Well you saw it in Summer...

That is if you watched the Olympics you did. So let's go visit China for Christmas shall we?

Because Chrisitanity is not a wide spread faith, Christmas is not a very large celebration. Christians decorate their homes with trees and decorate with a lot of paper decorations such as paper chains, lanterns, and paper flowers. I've seen some complex origami from a co worker once upon a time and if it is any indication I think I know how I would love to decorate our tree next year!

In some of the metro areas of China Christmas is developing a larger presence but only from a marketing and retail perspective.

The more prominent winter celebration is New Years which falls at the end of January and into early February. This celebration is dedicated to the memory and honoring of the ancestors. It is also called the Spring Festival.

Maybe we'll come back and visit again a little closer to New Year's this year! Until then...Pass the fortune cookies!

'S Rozhdestvom!'

Do you have a fur hat? Are you bundled up? It's time to head off to Russia for Christmas! But guess what? We are early! But I'm getting ahead of myself!

The key religion in Russia (now that it is allowed again) is Eastern Orthodox. Because the Orthodox church still follows a Julian calendar Christmas is not celebrated until January 7th. And for the 6 weeks leading up to Christmas the faithful participate in a fast. The Russian fast however is not like the fast we found during Eid. Fasting involves avoiding meat and declining to participate in gatherings and parties.

The largest part of the celebration is on Christmas Eve. Folks gather at the cathedrals for mass involving incense and carols. At one point in the service there is a preocession around the church led by the clergy.

After the service families go home for a feast (still meatless). This little bit from travelcentre.com was too good not to pass on!

Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important dish is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of berries, wheat or other grains that symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds that ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling. According to the tradition, if kutya sticks there will be a great honey harvest.

I will not be sharing the food flinging tradition with my children!

On Christmas Day the fast is broken with a 12 course meal to honor each of the 12 Apostles. The meal includes (but I'm sure is not limited to) fish, Borsch (a beet soup), cabbage stuffed with millet, cooked dried fruit, goose, suckling pig and many more dishes.

There are two figures commonly associated with Christmas. Babushka (Grandmother) is the bearer of the gifts. The legend tells that she was invited to go find the Chist Child with the Wise Men but declined due to the weather. She regretted her decision almost immediately and packed a basket with her own gifts and went in search of the Child. Along her way she distributed her gifts to good children.

There is also a figure (Grandfather Christmas) Dedushka Moroz but he is simply a figure head and not held as much more.

And that my friends is our little visit to Russia. perhaps this evening we can all have some Chinese together? See you there!

No More Appropriate Place to Visit

For those of us who are Christian, there is no more appropriate place to visit for Christmas than Israel. And there is no more appropriate person to guide us on our tour than a child. Please welcome my beloved Melisa (aka Misa Bug!), a nine year old brilliant writer and joy of my heart!

Mo'adim Lesimkha!

That is Merry Christmas in Hebrew. In Israel at Christmas time Christians go to church at the exact place Jesus was born. The Church is called the Church of the Nativity. Flags and other decorations fill the church. If you go down the deep winding stairs, you'll find baby Jesus' manger site. There is a big silver star around it that has 14 points with 15 silver lamps. Around the star it says, "Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born."

Every year they have a parade with galloping horsmen and policemen that ride Arabian horses. Then one horseman on a solid black steed carrying a cross rides by. All of the churchmen and goverment officials walk at the end.

(Note added from Melisa's Mom: This procession leads the people to the Church of the Nativity where they have the worship service. Only a few hundred people can fit into the church, so they now place large screens and do a video cast of the worship service for the thousands of people gathered outside to worship at the place of Jesus' birth. After this service, many people then head out to the fields where the shepherds saw the angels to continue the worship service).

In the cities a Christian home has a red cross on the door. Plus they decorate their homes with a homemade nativity set. In the middle of every village is a pole with a star on the top.

And so that's how they celebrate Christmas in Israel.

Melisa

Isn't she AWESOME!! And Nut, you're welcome for the easy writing and literature homework! Merry Christmas to my Bug and my Boo and to Nut and Clark too! I love you guys!!

One More Day in the South!

I know you have missed me and you thought the trip ended abruptly with no warning, right? Not a chance! I got tied up in a lot of last minute Christmas preparation and parties but I'm back. So we are going to take this week between Christmas and New Years and visit a few more countries before we call it a day.

My beloved college roommate Peanut, who you will hear from again, spent a summer in Africa on a mission trip and came home with an incredible love of all things international! She has (in her gracious and loving way) agreed to share with us the traditions of South Africa.

December 25th is right in the middle of the summer for those in South Africa. Needless to say the beach, rivers and shady moutain tops often entice many on Christmas Day! :-) Schools are out and many people love to spend the Holiday camping. They may not have a "white Christmas" but they will have a Christmas filled with beautiful wile flowers in all their glory!

It is very common to see people out Caroling on Christmas Eve. In some of the larger cities the Christmas Carolers will be done by candle light with a screen and floor show. They wake up to head to church on Christmas morning for special services.

Their decorations are more natural than ours are. They will decorate their home with pine branches and a Christmas Fir tree decorated in the corner. They will surround the tree with presents for children just like we do. On Christmas Eve the children will take out their stockings to leave them for Father Christmas to fill with goodies.

Christmas dinner is usually one of two things. Many will go out to the open-air for lunch. Others will have the traditional turkey, roast-beef, minced pie, or even suckling pig. They have yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, crackers, paper hats, and all to go along with it. After Christmas dinner, many families spend their Christmas in the country side playing games and soaking up the sunshine. They then spend the cool evening at home with their family.

They aren't done yet. Boxing Day (December 26) is a National Holiday as well. They spend the day outside resting in the beautiful weather. It must be nice to get a vacation from all the hustle and bustle of Christmas Day! :-)

And that my friends is with love from my roommate and "sister." You can find more of her adventures at Peanut's Place. If you enjoyed her take on things make sure you come back later this afternoon for Christmas in Isreal. Oh, no! It's not Nut writing again- it's my wonderful 9 year old "niece" Misa's turn!

A Quick Stop Over in Madagascar!

Everyone together now...I like to move it, move it! And now that I have that stuck in your head for the rest of the day...You're welcome!

A lot of my bloggy friends are struggling with overwhelming snow, ice and general nastiness right now so I thought I would let them take a virtual trip south of the Equator into summer time again. It's the peak of summer on this now famous African island.

Tratry ny Krismasy - or "be caught by Christmas!" I think we call all feel the net closing a little right now so it only seems appropriate that we share the traditional Madagascan greeting. What intrigued me was the traditional response. Samy ho tratry ny ho avy isika - "May we all be caught by the next one!" And it truly is a response that we want to come true if you think about it. May we all be here together again next year!

Decorations in Madagascar are modest. Pine trees aren't native to the island and deforestation is a real environmental concern so the decor of a Christmas tree is avoided. Poinsettias are actually grown as shrubs and bloom all year - not just for Christmas. How pretty must that be?!

The big guy is called Dadabe Noely but is a thin version of our Santa Claus. He doesn't bring lavish or huge amounts of gifts. As a matter of fact, most children are content with a few new clothes and some hard candy.

The real celebration is the Christmas Eve service at the churches. Many start as early as five o'clock and go until well past midnight. The whole family is involved and the children are featured as carolers and performers in plays and presentations. On Christmas Day folks may go back to church for another service or they may spend the day picnicking or at the beach.

I'm on a roll today so make sure you stop back in a little while for a visit to Kenya. I'm liking this summery weather - sure beats the gray outside my house!

Welcome to the Land of the Pyramids?

How well do you know the Christmas story? What happened AFTER the manger and the angels and shepherds and wise men? Do you know? An angel came to Joseph in a dream and warned of Herod's mission to find and kill the Child. Joseph packed everyone up then and there and headed to Egypt.

Today we are headed to Egypt ourselves. I was wondering how much of this part of the Christmas story would be recognized or if it had been dominated by the addition of Islam to the religious landscape. It turns out that there is still a very strong Christian presence and therefore Christmas is actually a very prominent celebration.

Something I was not aware of is that the Church in Egypt (called the Coptic Church) is a branch of the Catholic Church but they recognize St. Mark as their founder rather than St. Peter. The Church does not celebrate Christmas on December 25th however. They recognize January 7th as Christmas instead. The holiday is a long and very festive season in Egypt because of the visit of the Holy Family.

In some cities there are complete streets of shops that dedicate thier wares to Christmas this time of year. One particular item that was mentioned on several websites caught my eye (this one is for you J Jiggety!) Apparently there is such a thing as a belly dancing Santa! Try as I might I couldn't find one but please know that I put a lot of effort into it!

Christmas services are held at midnight followed by the ringing of the church bells. Part of the celebration includes a period of fasting daily. When Egyptians eat in the evenings they are only allowed foods that have no animal source (no meat, fish, milk, or eggs). After the Christmas midnight service they go home for a feast including meat and rice called "fatta."

Decorations are heavy with candles and lanterns in tribute to Joseph who legend tells lit candles to warm Mary the night of the Nativity. Another bit of interest for me was that the Christmas holiday is actually a heavy tourist season. In the early 20th century European families would vacation in Egypt for the warmer climate. The hotels however went out of their way to create a Christmas feel with artificial snow and trees. The guests would dress to the nines and celebrate with grand parites. The tourism continues today but maybe without all the snow and trees.

Eid (remember Chris's tour yesterday?) is also celebrated by the Muslim population in the country. But the interesting aspect to me is that the two celebrations are held siultaneously and peacefully. Something to think about!

No Meatballs Here!

Sorry Ikea fans. On this trip to Sweden there are no meatballs or furniture with funny names. Man I love Ikea! No, this time it's just your traditional Swedish Christmas. But prepare yourself because I am pretty sure you are about to encounter some traditions that very few of you have ever heard of much less experienced!

Christmas in Sweden begins with the lighting of the first Advent candle. The first widely held celebration though is on December 13th for the celebration of Santa Lucia. Lucia was a Christian martyr who legend tells took food to persecuted Christians in Rome. She wore a wreath with candles on her head so that she would be hands free to deliver and serve. In her honor the eldest daughter of the home will dress in a white gown with a red sash, wear an evergreen wreath complete with lit tall tapered candles, and will serve her parents a breakfast of coffee and Lucia buns. She is accompanied by the other children of the house who also dress in white; the girls with glitter and the boys with pointed starry hats. {Side note - when I pictured the Orangutan in said outfit I had a moment but that's just me!}

The Christmas tree is not brought into the home until the two days before Christmas. It is decorated with candles, apples, Swedish flags, and small gnome figures. many of the decorations may be made of straw. The decorations made of straw are meant to serve as a reminder of the birthplace of Jesus in the manger. The homes are decorated with red tulips and the smell of gingerbread biscuits called Pepparkakor lingers through the home.

You are familiar with the term smorgasbord right? Well welcome to its origin. The buffet with is served on Christmas Eve is complete with fish dishes such as lutfisk (dried, lye soaked codfish) herrings and salmon dishes, turkey, Christmas ham, pickled pigs feet, and many other meat dishes. The finisher to the meal is the Risgryngrot - a special holiday rice pudding that contains one whole almond. It is told that the person who finds the almond in their pudding will marry in the coming year.

After the meal there is a visit from Tomte - a gnome that lives under the floorboards of the home or the barn and cares for the family and livestock throughout the year. Some legends tell that if one takes very good care of the livestock during the year Tomte appreciates the help and provides a gift accordingly! (I think I just heard mothers around the blogosphere suddenly adopting Tomte!)

Christmas Day begins with a service at church and is followed by a day of family and rest. But the holiday season does not end until January 14th or Knut's Day. On Knut's Day the children may dress up as Knut and play practical jokes while they snack on the edible ornaments from the tree. Then the trees are returned to nature to rejoin their fellows.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I had to close my mouth as I read about these traditions. Maybe I am revealing my closed mindedness but I had no idea just how many very different versions of Christmas there really were. There is one thread that I have found in all of the traditions and customs that we have come across. There is always a time set aside for rememberance and family.

I know we have crossed over into the dreaded ten day countdown to Christmas and I know that there are probably some stress levels climbing even as I say that. But please take this moment and this reminder to look at who and what is around you. Remember the Reason for the Season and make sure to take time today, tomorrow and every day to show those you are fussing over and for what they mean to you. The paper will be gone in two weeks. The presents will be mixed in before the month is out. Take time for family!

God Jul! (Good Yule!)

Have you been Missing Christmas?

Sorry about that! I got caught up in all the Christmas prep around the Zoo and ran a little low on Steam! But I'm back and ready to move through Europe today! Tomorrow we are going to make a few stops in Africa and then it's off to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Are you ready to move it on? (The Amazing Race has NOTHING on us!!)

Welcome to Italy! I am so excited about this stop!! A) Because I am the world's biggest pasta butt and B) because this is such a rich culture. Let's take a moment and review some history before we start exploring ok? This is the home of Rome - anciently remembered for being big on the mythic gods. Rome is also home of the largest empire in history and home to the Catholic Church and ancient Christianity. As a result when it is time to celebrate at this time of year you are surrounded by many rich and varied customs and traditions.

In a nod to the ancient pagan culture Saturnatalia (Winter Solstice) and Advent blend to create Buon Natale or Good Birthday - a combined celebration of winter and the birth of Christ. Piferari (fifers) march down fro the mountains to herald the season and kick of the celebrations. Eight days before Christmas children celebrate in their own way by participatin gin La Novena during which that travel through town and sing carols and recite Christmas poetry.

On Christmas Eve families visit Cribs (nativities) throughout thier communities much like we would tour lights and outdoor decorations. They also begin burning the Yule Log which will burn until New Year's Eve to clean the house of any bad luck or evil from the year before. It is legend that Mary would tour the homes where the Yule was burning and warm her newborn thus blessing the home when she left.

On Christmas Day families join in a huge banquet which features many fish and seafood dishes including capitone (roasted eel) or sausage stuffed pig leg served with lentil. For sweets one would have their choice of panettone (fruitcake), torrone (nougat)or panforte (gingerbread). And no Christmas banquet is complete without an assortment of nuts and honey. The nuts symbolize the fertility of the earth so eating the two together ensures one of a sweet and propserous New Year.

In Italy gifts are delivered by La Befana - a female Santa Claus. She is portrayed as a kind ugly witch which teaches the children that gifts can come from anywhere and anyone. Another tradition tied to gifts and giving is the Urn of Fate. A bag is loaded with wrapped boxes, some containing gifts and some empty. There is a box for everyone so a new meaning is given to "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" But one gift that is given to everyone no matter where or who is the Pope's Christmas blessing which is delivered from St. Peter's at noon on Christmas Day.

So Buon Natale! I hope you enjoyed this little visit to Italy with me. I think I'll pass on the eel though if you don't mind. See you later today for a quick stop over in Sweden!

Is that a Guest Tour Guide I See?

**My bloggy pal Tina of Adventures of a Working Mom was a delight to help me out with Christmas Around the World. She has first had knowledge and experience with Christmas in Germany so she has graciously agreed to be our guide on this leg of the trip! Make sure you leave some love for her!!**

Frohe Weihnachten!

Germany is rich in tradition and culture when it comes to Christmas. I come from a German family and when my parents moved to the U.S. when I was younger, thankfully they continued to keep the German culture alive in our house.

St. Nikolaus Day
One such tradition is St. Nikolaus Day. This is celebrated on December 6th. On this day children place their boots outside their home and hope that St. Nikolaus will fill them with apples, oranges/tangerines, lebkuchen, cookies, or fruit bread. Traditionally these items were reserved for special occasions and children did not get such sweets on a regular basis. If the children had been good and polite during the year, they received treats; if they were not good, they had a switch placed in their boot.

Christmas Eve
The German Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve. Parents decorate the Christmas tree and place the presents underneath without the children around. The Christmas tree also serves as a present since no one has seen it until the Christkindl brings the presents. The Christkindl means "Christ Child." In Germany the Christkindl is the bringer of gifts for children. A young girl with a golden crown and wings usually portrays the Christkindl. On Christmas Eve, traditional food is goose, fish, or deer. In my family, we always have deer on Christmas Eve and have goose on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day
December 25 is known as the "1st Christmas Day". On this day, families visit the other set of grandparents (usually the father’s parents). There is no traditional food eaten on this day, it is more like a traditional Sunday dinner in the U.S.
December 26 is known as the "2nd Christmas Day". On this day, families visit relatives who live out of town. Again, the traditional food is more of a Sunday dinner.

Germany has many rich traditions during the Christmas season, from celebrations to foods. I am fortunate to have been raised in these deep cultural traditions during my childhood and now have the opportunity to pass these traditions to my daughter while also teaching my husband about my cultural traditions.

Tina!

Adventures of a Working Mom

**If you are interested in guest hosting a visit for Christmas Around the World, drop me a line at ineedthezoo(at)yahoo(dot)com. I'll be happy to have you and of course you'll get linky love!**

Wooden Shoes and Windmills

Do you know where we are? Think tulips, dykes, lots of water - We have arrived in Holland (aka The Netherlands). And I think I'm beginning to figure some things out about Christmas. But we'll save that for the round up of the trip.

What would you like to know? In the Netherlands Christmas celebrations begin on December 5th with Sinterklaas Avond (St. Nicholas Eve). Sinterklaas (Santa to us) sails from Spain to the Netherlands and mounts a white horse to visit the families. The children put out their shoes full of hay and sugar for Sinterklaas's horse and are usually rewarded with candy and small gifts. The emphasis is not on the gifts so much as it is on spending time with family.

December 6th is St. Nicolas Day and is celebrated with special family meals and gatherings. The next few weeks are spent decorating and preparing for Christmas Day itself. Decorations are kept relatively simple as the season is meant to focus on family. Trees are usually decorated much as we do here - with a mix of ornaments and themes.

Between the first Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve farmers in the eastern part of the Netherlands practice an old tradition of Midwinter Horn blowing. At dusk each evening they go out to a well or other echoing area and blow a horn made from an elder tree to herald the coming of the Christ child and in some legends to scare away evil spirits.

Christmas itself is observed in two parts. On Christmas Eve families light the Christmas tree and attend church. On Christmas Day there is a large family meal and being together. Some of the traditional fare is venison, hare, goose or turkey served with Kerstbrood and Kerstkrans (Christmas loaf and ring). The second day of Christmas is spent together as a family with a play or other leisurely activities.

Right about now in out holiday preparations I am wondering why we (America) don't celebrate like the Dutch. It feels so laid back and relaxed. All of my reading led me to believe that the rush and hustle just wasn't there. It was all about family and resting and enjoying the good the year had brought. Something tells me that the Dutch may have figured out the Peace of the season.

Joyeux Noel! (And I had to copy that because I don't speak French!!)

Can you smell the bread? Did you bring your corkscrew? How about some cheese? That's right CAW fans! We have finally made it to France. And what an education I have received! Christmas in France is so different from what we are used to but enough babble! Let's get started.

Christmas begins on December 6th with St. Nicholas Day. In some regions of France the children receive their gifts for St. Nicholas Day and Christmas Day is reserved for religious observances. In other regions, Pere Noel brings the gifts on Christmas Eve. But guess what? Pere Noel doesn't come alone. Pere Fouttard comes with Noel to remind him of the children's bad behavior during the year and he may even hand out some spankings if he deems it necessary. Kind of brings to mind the good angel - bad angel on your shoulder doesn't it?

Decorating in France is also very different. Christmas trees never really seemed to catch on like they have here in the States and around the world. Instead there is a large focus on the Nativity or Creche. Artisans sell the different pieces for the nativity from year to year in the markets. The molds for these have been passed from generation to generation. Once a family has their established Nativity, the artisans add other saints from history or from the local legends and patrons.

Here's a little trivia for your next Christmas party. In France (the country known for romance?) the mistletoe is hung over the doorway to symbolize good luck. How many embarrassing moments could you have avoided?

Christmas Eve families attend a midnight mass and then return home for le reveillon - a traditional large family feast. The dishes served depend on the region of France where one is celebrating. Some dishes you may see in your travels include goose, buckwheat pancakes, turkey, or oysters. Dessert will include the Yule Log - and no that's not the one that you've been burning. It is a delightful blend of chocolate and chestnuts formed into a log shaped cake.

One Twelfth Night (January 5th) the children go out to meet the three kings and provide food for them, their pages, and their camels. In return the Kings give gifts once again. The celebration for Epiphany includes a Cake of the King (tune in Mardis Gras friends!) which is a decorated cake that includes a trinket or bean buried somewhere inside. The person who finds the trinket in their piece is king or queen for the following year.

Off to the Emerald Isle!

Ahhh, Ireland! The one place I would love to visit for a year! I'm a European mutt so you may get more information about the European countries that you every wish to know but I promise I'll try not to bore you. (Did I mention that I should have a guest post for Germany? Stay Tuned!!)

Now a little poll for you? How many of you put candles in your windows? Did you know that that is an invitation for strangers to enter in Ireland? Ok, maybe not "invitation" but it is traditionally an indication that strangers are welcome - perhaps a nod to the inkeeper in the Nativity story.

Much of the decorations put up during the season are natural. True pine wreaths, holly branches and sprigs, pine cones, ivy and definitely a real Christmas tree are all among the decor for the season. This may account for my love of wreaths and garland in my decorating (althought mine are all fake - oops). And if you have a Nativity may I suggest that you consider adding an Irish tradition this year? When did Jesus truly arrive on the scene? On Christmas Eve, correct? In Ireland they wait until Christmas Eve or even Christmas morning to put Jesus in the manger.

The day after Christmas is called St. Stephen's Day in honor of St. Stephen, the first martyr in the Christain faith. In South Ireland it would not be uncommon to see "Wren Boys" on St. Stephen's Day. Originally it was a day of hunting wrens because of the legend that a wren is the tattletale who gave away Stephen's location to those who were hunting him. Then it became a day for young men (think frat boys here) to dress up in straw outfits and march from home to home drumming and playing whistles and reciting the poem:

"The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he is little, his family is great,
I pray you, good landlady, give us a treat."

Originally they would be given a penny or some pittance from the home which they then put toward a party! That was sincerely frowned on by the church so now the Wren Boys collect for charities.

Now here is a tradition I found that all women should embrace regarless of their ethnic background! January 6th (no, not Dia De Los Reyes!) is called "Women's Christmas." It is the day that all the decorations come down and the season is closed. But here's why I say we should all embrace it - the men give the women the day off! That's right ladies! The men take down the decorations and clean up the holiday mess. All in favor? Unfortunately for us it didn't really stick and women do get honored but still pretty much do the work - but you don't have to tell your family that!!

Now what would our stop be without a nod to all the food? As a starter you would see smoked salmon or prawns. Then you have goose or turkey with all the trimmings (potatoes of course!) and the finishers would be Christmas (plum) pudding or mince pies. On a side note, mince pies and a Guinness are the traditional offerings for Santa as well as some apples or veggies for the reindeer.

After dinner it is traditional to see a Pantomime or go to the horse races. Although the truly brave souls head for water and go for a Christmas swim. Only in Ireland!!

**Information was heavily gleaned from DoChara, an absolutely fabulous site that made me fall even more in love with Ireland!**