In celebration of the feast of the Epiphany on the 6th of January, in Ireland it is marked by Nollaig na mBan. When we were in Spain it’s a big holiday. The shops were closed, there are parades and gifts given to children similar to Christmas day. In France we shared a galette and hoped to find the mini ceramic figure without breaking our teeth so we could get to wear the paper crown.
The twelfth night of Christmas is the 5th of January and the day after marks the coming of the wise men to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. It is famous from songs and plays and is the end of the Christmas season. However, of all the ways I’ve come across to celebrate the feast of the Epiphnay, Nollaig na mBan is my favourite.
The translation of the Irish is Women’s Christmas (Null-ug na Mon) and the day is also referred to as ‘little Christmas’. There are sacred traditions associated with it that are unique to Ireland and unlike many traditions that are dying out Nollaig na mBan is having a bit of a revival.
Depending on who you talk to, the custom of celebrating little christmas was always stronger in the west of Ireland and for others it the south around Cork and Kerry. It is a custom associated more with the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) areas of Ireland and as the tradition of speaking Irish faded, so too did the celebration of Nollaig na mBan. However, in recent years it is making a well-deserved comeback.
Traditionally having done the lion’s share of the work the women down tools for the day. Men are left at home to do the chores while the women get together. In some parts of Ireland this tradition is growing strong especially around Cork. The custom was that women made social calls to the homes of their friends and neighbours and enjoyed tea and the last of the Christmas cake. Nowadays, gathering in the pub or a café might be more popular but the sentiment is the same.
Women in Ireland worked hard all year, particularly in rural parts of Ireland and Christmas Day was no different. On Nollaig na mBan women would have the day off and the men would handle all the chores. In an article in the Irish Times, they joked ‘God rested on the seventh day, but the women of Ireland didn't get to do the same until the twelfth and last day of Christmas.’ Nolliag na mBan was a way for the women to come together in celebration. A day to say well done, look at all the hard work we put in and congratulate the fact that we pulled it all off.
Like many things in Ireland there are stories and traditions connected to it. I read once on a website outside of Ireland that it’s a day the women of Ireland celebrate the miracle of the Wedding of Cana. This never made much sense to me and the women I asked could shed no light on it for me. Recently I was listening to an old interview of Dr Marion McGarry and she talked about a piseog associated with Nolliag na mBan. Apparently at midnight on the 6th all the water in the wells in Ireland turn to wine. However, it is said to be very bad luck to test it or check it making it a bit hard to know if it has turned or not. Suddenly the story of the celebration of the miracle made sense to me.
Another tradition was that of lighting candles and putting them in the window. In 1997 Michael Gill shared with RTÉ a memory of walking round his island of Inis Mor with all the candles in the windows remarking “In the days before electricity it was the brightest night of the year." They still light candles on all the Aran islands in this way today.
A beautiful poem Coinnle ar Lasadh by Máirtín Ó Direáin (1910-1988) talks of the lighting of the candles. https://fb.watch/wWiQXE3bzT/ One story told that the people in the house would each light a candle and the one to go out first signalled who would die first. Some of the darkness of old Ireland.
Lighted Candles by Mairtin O Direáin
In a little island far to the West
Candles will be lighting tonight,
In straw roofed houses, and in slate roofed houses
Twelve bright candles will be lighting tonight
.
My eternal gentle blessings to the bright candles
Which will be lighting tonight,
And a hundred blessings times two
To a certain hand that will light candles tonight
(Translation taken from The Days of the NV Naamh Éanna)
It is a tradition worth reviving, in the past, the fact that women did the majority of work in the home was acknowledged by Women’s Christmas. In today’s modern society where many women also go out to work that has largely still not shifted. It reminds me of the strength of women and Irish women. There is nothing the whole world over stronger than an Irish Mammy maybe because first and foremost she is an Irish woman. We may be spread all over the world but the Irish blood running through our veins stays the same.
Nollaig na mBan is the perfect was to celebrate the amazing women in our lives and to remember those that have gone. It is a day to celebrate the positive contribution, often unacknowledged, that women make to family, home and society. It is a day of warmth, solidarity and thanks of women from all over.
So if you have felt inspired here are a few ways you can celebrate Nollaig na mBan
On Nolliag na mBan take the time to appreciate those women you have been lucky enough to encounter. Something simple like writing a note of gratitude in a journal or better yet sending a note to these women that you appreciate in your life.
It is a perfect day to toast yourself and the coming year. In the quiet after the festive season when spirits may be low, and funds even lower it is a beautiful day. To coin a phrase from the wonderful group of Irish women in France I am lucky to be a part of, Irish women (most women) are Mnáwsome.
For me it brings a new energy Reflect on what you are grateful for last year and what you wish for in the coming year.
I was recently talking to a group of international women and this day came up in conversation. They just loved the idea. While I don’t think I can hope to get out of all my chores, a day of doing as little as possible does seem in order.
For those in Dublin, The Irish Writers Centre will be kicking off the new year with their legendary annual celebration of Nollaig na mBan. They reimagine the tradition by showcasing extraordinary women writers in Ireland.
One thing we have come to associate with the festive season is gifts and little Christmas can be the same. If you are expecting something to appear under the tree you could be disappointed. Mylie Cyrus reminded us we can buy ourselves flowers and we can also buy ourselves a little something to remind ourselves of just how awesome we are. And if life tests us this year it can never hurt to have a symbol to remind ourselves just how strong we are.
Nollaig Shona na mBan to all you beautiful women