Advertisement
Dublin: 12 °C Thursday 14 November, 2024

11 of the most non-traditional Irish Christmas traditions

Just think, would your granny have done it?

AS THE YEARS go on, our Christmas habits and traditions develop. Maybe when you were younger, it was all about lighting the candle in the window, getting new Christmas pyjamas and pulling crackers around the dinner table.

But we’re diversifying. Here are a few traditions that probably weren’t around in your grandparents’ day.

1. Starting in September

Yes, this happened on the 1st of September in a Celbridge branch in Tesco. It’s now custom to begin getting into the holiday spirit before Halloween has even arrived.

20130903_152844-e1378222238699-375x500

2. Doing the 12 pubs

The Christmas pub crawl is the perfect mesh of Irish life and Christmas tradition. We all have a ‘date’ we’re doing it on, sometimes more than once. Only the fittest survive. Try doing this 40 years ago and you’d be shunned from the parish. It also spawned the tradition of those complaining about it incessantly.

christmaspubcrawlannoyed Bovinemagnet Bovinemagnet

3. Putting up ‘Santa stop here’ signs

Has Santa lost his sense of direction? No, he’s not going a bit senile. He’s magic, kids, he can find your house and he’ll totally stop there.

Santa stop here please ms_bulsara ms_bulsara

4. Wearing Christmas jumpers

They’re unsightly, they’re comfy, they were ironic. They’re not anymore, but has that stopped anyone from wearing them? No. Wear those jumpers, ignore the nay-sayers. We all know they’re just jealous of your super quirky quirk. Game, on.

See also: Christmas onesies.

screencap37-6 Funky Christmas Jumpers Funky Christmas Jumpers

5. The ever-evolving Christmas dinner

Christmas dinner back in the day was STANDARD. Now you order it all weeks in advance, and it’s all nut roast this, duck d’orange that. There are even glitter drinks available for consumption. Drinks with actual glitter.

glitterdrinknotions

Three bird roast? What’s wrong with the one?

00519809 Marks and Spencer Marks and Spencer

If it’s a cranberry and orange marinated scottish lochmuir salmon you want?

00745024 Marks and Spencer Marks and Spencer

At least dessert will always be Christmas pud. With mulled spice cream is it? NOTIONS.

308251 Mysupermarket Mysupermarket

6. Supermarket Christmas sandwiches for lunch

On a similar note, this development that was practically inconceivable in the days when mammy would slave over the Christmas feast, ensuring every juice and stock didn’t go to waste. Put it in between bread? Like all of it? Have fun burning in hell. Sure they’ll be liquidising the pudding next.

Christmas food for halloween Ambernectar 13 Ambernectar 13

7. Going ‘away’ for the holidays

Some Irish families don’t even entertain the thought of staying at home for Christmas. Sure we’ll go to a nice hotel. Is there anything that could be worse than having Christmas dinner in a hotel as a kid? No. No there isn’t.

thetrifle hotelarthur hotelarthur

8. Drinking fancy coffee

Honeycomb caramel gingerbread mochas with a dusting of cinnamon and black forest powder. In a red cup, of course.

redcupseason

tumblr_mvxx05iZGJ1qzdm5xo1_1280 Tumblr Tumblr

9. Attending a midnight mass before midnight

Not a recent development by a long shot, but now it starts at about 7pm. Hey. It’s not Christmas, it’s Christmas Eve mass. Where’s your sense of Catholic guilt?

What’s worse is when baby Jesus is already in the church crib. Blasphemy.

midgnightmasstimewatch Shutterstock Shutterstock

10. Tuning into Christmas FM

Every year, as you tune into the test broadcast, that initial flicker that Christmas is REALLY coming hits you fast. Fairytale of New York just doesn’t sound the same on any other radio station.

christmasfmtweet

11. Going on an ice-skating excursion

Winter Wonderlands and Christmas fairs. Are you able? We’re not. Now a staple for school trips.

387700_289681601074530_1377213485_n 7up Winter Wonderland 7up Winter Wonderland

The 16 absolute greatest Christmas jumpers of 2013>

16 brilliantly Irish alternative Christmas cards>

Author
Nicola Byrne
View 42 comments
Close
42 Comments
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.