Little Christmas/Women's Christmas

JuliusCaesar

This seems to have had a revival recently, but I haven't heard of it in a good few years now.

Women's Christmas

Little Christmas is also called Women's Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan), and sometimes Women's Little Christmas. The tradition, still very strong in Cork and Kerry is so called because of the Irish men taking on all the household duties for the day.[11] Most women hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, and aunts. Bars and restaurants serve mostly women and girls on this night. Children often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers.

does anyone still celebrate this, and is it only in Cork/Kerry?

Sir Arthur Daley

If it falls on the weekend celebrate it, if not then dont.

Femme_Fatale

It turns Cork into a big hen night. Women of all ages going to see male strip shows especially for it, etc.

GLaDOS

I'd never heard of this until my girlfriend mentioned it earlier. But no, feck that :pac:

Amirani

Never heard of it.

Zaph

Never heard of it until I met my wife, who's from Cork. I assume it's a Cork/Munster thing. It definitely doesn't exist in Dublin anyway.

Links234

We've always celebrated Little Christmas in my family, thought it was something everyone did

shruikan2553

Ive heard about this before. Only from people on the internet. Still its good to know that I should always avoid cork but especially for that day. Anything like a hen party is my idea of hell.

Holsten

I've never even heard of this so nope.

Gremlinertia

A few of my friends in Galway celebrate it, just a gathering of women for a few quiet drinks, not the hen party described above, much calmer type effort..

Karl Stein

Shurewaharm?

Mint Aero

It's really sad when sh*t like this pops up on AH and so many posters say "I've never heard of it" It's like witnessing a lost generation of Mrs. Browns Boys lovin'I dunno am I Brit or Oi'rish people so sad

WilyCoyote

Celebrated big time in Kerry. All the farmers' wives go out on the lash. The menfolk don't mind once they're home in time for milking

AndonHandon

I've never heard this and I'm from Dublin. Not exactly a whippersnapper either at 25.

I have work that day.

Zaph

Mint Aero wrote: »

It's really sad when sh*t like this pops up on AH and so many posters say "I've never heard of it" It's like witnessing a lost generation of Mrs. Browns Boys lovin'I dunno am I Brit or Oi'rish people so sad

Why is it sad? If it doesn't exist in certain parts of the country then why should people there have heard of it?

Frank Lee Midere

It is pretty amazing that one part of the island doesn't know a significant festival in the rest of it.

Miss Lockhart

Can't believe so many haven't heard of it. We don't celebrate it but have always been aware of it.

poundapunnet

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

It is pretty amazing that one part of the island doesn't know a significant festival in the rest of it.

Erra it's only Cork
edit: and its inbred cousin

Daqster

I was at three different houses this year and without exclusion, it was the men who were doing all the cooking and preparing on the day.

eeeee

Not just a Cork thing I'm from the midlands and it's there too. Not in Dublin though, and not raucous but very definitely there.

Mint Aero

Zaph wrote: »

Why is it sad? If it doesn't exist in certain parts of the country then why should people there have heard of it?

Oer meh gawd the commander of the internets speaks to me!

Tradition and sh*t innit. Seriously?! does it not exist outside Munster? Does that mean we're inbred?

Anyway, yeah it's sad if such traditions die out so quick once entering the pale. It's not exactly a big country so how would one not know about it from past Christmases....from literature or from film/television even?

Interrobang

Never heard of it before I moved to Cork. Avoid it like the plague.

shruikan2553

Mint Aero wrote: »

Oer meh gawd the commander of the internets speaks to me!

Tradition and sh*t innit. Seriously?! does it not exist outside Munster? Does that mean we're inbred?

Anyway, yeah it's sad if such traditions die out so quick once entering the pale. It's not exactly a big country so how would one not know about it from past Christmases....from literature or from film/television even?

I have never seen it mentioned anywhere outside of people asking does anyone else know about it on boards and have never seen anyone celebrating it. For a tradition to die out it needs to have existed and from what I can tell it hasnt in Donegal for a long time. (And its hardly the pale)

LordSutch

Little Christmas/Epiphany yes, but I'd never ever heard of women's christmas until about five years ago.

whatdoicare

Never heard of it but as a woman I am now keen to start it up amongst my family and friends. I always thought it was the day you took down the tree and decorations, stupid me could've been on the lash and getting extra presents!!

Fr_Dougal

whatdoicare wrote: »

Never heard of it but as a woman I am now keen to start it up amongst my family and friends. I always thought it was the day you took down the tree and decorations, stupid me could've been on the lash and getting extra presents!!

What about this cup?

oldyouth

Is it the same day that all the Christmas shlte is taken down from around the house? If it is then, then yes, I celebrate that BIG time

Clonmel1000

6th Jan always the day that Christmas officially ended and the tree etc came down. On a slightly different but related note I have neighbours who had decorations visible from outer space up in mid November who for some bizarre reason now have them down or off. note mid November is not Christmas 30th December is Christmas.....

suicide_circus

They'll be asking for the vote next!

bee06

I'm from Cork so have heard of it but don't celebrate it. It wouldn't be a huge deal in my area … mostly just older women meeting for a few drinks / night out. Definitely no hen party shenanigans.

GalwayGuy2

It turns Cork into a big hen night. Women of all ages going to see male strip shows especially for it, etc.

Were you being sarcastic?

seamus

I'd heard of women's Xmas in terms of "men do the cooking today", but that's about it. I'd never heard of anyone celebrating it nor even experienced it since Xmas has been an "all hands" affair in my family at least since I was 12.

In our house little Xmas was traditionally the day on which the decorations all come down.

I wasn't aware there was any kind of big party scene around it until it was mentioned on boards that the lady langers go nuts every year.

Frank Lee Midere

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

6th Jan always the day that Christmas officially ended and the tree etc came down. On a slightly different but related note I have neighbours who had decorations visible from outer space up in mid November who for some bizarre reason now have them down or off. note mid November is not Christmas 30th December is Christmas.....

Yes. That's so odd. Up in advent ( or before) - down in Chrustmas. Which lasts until the 6th.

anncoates

Is little Christmas not the epiphany on the 6th of January?

JuliusCaesar

6th January = Epiphany
6th January = Little Christmas
6th January = 12th day of Christmas
6th January = Women's Christmas
6th January = day the decs come down

It's a wonderful feast day! Packs it all in!

Munster women seem to have spread the feast day to Dublin, which was how I got to hear of it.

anncoates

To be fair, it's such a depressing f_cking time, you'd invent a celebration if there wasn't one.

fg1406

I never heard of it. It was never mentioned when I was growing up, nor in school. I heard of it only in the past 2 or 3 years after some work colleagues from the west mentioned it.

eviltwin

never heard of it either

anncoates

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Munster women seem to have spread the feast day to Dublin, which was how I got to hear of it.

Element of the menfolk allowing the mots a night out as they're too sick with drink to bother themselves

Legs.Eleven

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

6th January = Epiphany
6th January = Little Christmas
6th January = 12th day of Christmas
6th January = Women's Christmas
6th January = day the decs come down

It's a wonderful feast day! Packs it all in!

Munster women seem to have spread the feast day to Dublin, which was how I got to hear of it.

Also Dia de Los Reyes Magos (Three Wise Men Day) in Spain and the day when the kids get their pressies from the Wise Men (as opposed to Santa like in other countries). Also a national holiday where families have their final Chrimbo dinner. I'll be back there just in time to drown my NY blues.

Lia_lia

I'm from Kerry and yes, people do celebrate it. I thought the whole country did! Whoops.

Busted Flat.

What do they want their own Christmas for.

Agricola

Hard to believe so few know about it, if only because this very thread pops up in late December early January every year!

Never heard of anyone celebrating it. We always knew it as the official last day of the Christmas season. You should have the tree and decorations down before the 7th.

flanders1979

I moved to Kerry a few years ago and its the first time I heard of it. Seems like some sort of ICA or Macra type thing.
It might not be a great night to get ones hole.

Femme_Fatale

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Were you being sarcastic?

No, it does happen. Groups of women heading out as if it's a hen.

It's more for auld ones, and a few younger ones who tag along with them.

My friend's mostly female workplace had a night out for it one year, and they went to a strip show for the laugh. A flower-arranging circle (comprising ladies of a more mature vintage) went utterly nuts at it. Post menopausal decrease in libido my ear! :pac:

Chucken

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

No, it does happen. Groups of women heading out as if it's a hen.

It's more for auld ones, and a few younger ones who tag along with them.

My friend's mostly female workplace had a night out for it one year, and they went to a strip show for the laugh. A flower-arranging circle (comprising ladies of a more mature vintage) went utterly nuts at it. Post menopausal decrease in libido my ear! :pac:

My best friend used to organise us for it. It was basically a meal and then hit as many pubs as possible. There would be 10-15 of us just having fun.

I haven't been on one since 2006 because my best friend went and died on us 6 years ago today at the grand old age of 46.

I miss her

Lapin

Gremlinertia wrote: »

A few of my friends in Galway celebrate it, just a gathering of women for a few quiet drinks, not the hen party described above, much calmer type effort..

Galway ladies were always a lot more civilised than those trollops below in Cark.

Femme_Fatale

Chucken wrote: »

My best friend used to organise us for it. It was basically a meal and then hit as many pubs as possible. There would be 10-15 of us just having fun.

I haven't been on one since 2006 because my best friend went and died on us 6 years ago today at the grand old age of 46.

I miss her

Ah shyte. This week is a very tough time of year for you so...

My friends and I don't bother with it because of work next day/being all partied out, but it's great craic I'd say.

starlit

Not really no!

kerry4sam

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

This seems to have had a revival recently, but I haven't heard of it in a good few years now.




does anyone still celebrate this, and is it only in Cork/Kerry?

We celebrated this, but I am from Kerry. As a child, our Mom would be spoiled by us all on this day especially after all the trojan work she would always do for everyone over the Christmas Period! This was her day off so to speak We would buy something for our grand-mothers also for this day.

Thought it was done throughout the country to be honest.

homemadecider

Ah, boggers.