Women’s Christmas

Have you heard of Women’s Christmas? It’s an ancient Irish tradition called – in irish – Nollaig na mBan (pronounced Null-ug na Mon. Say it three times and you’ll be grand).
Back in the day, 12 days after Christmas, Irish women would give themselves a well-earned break. The menfolk would stay home and do the housework for a change. And the women would head out to socialize and take tea and cake.
Somehow, I had never heard of Nollaig na mBan. But I stumbled across a mention of it when I was doing research for a Christmas scene in my upcoming novel The Shamrock. Some sources say the tradition is dying out, but is still quite strong in the south of Ireland, particularly in county Cork and county Kerry. Others say the tradition is undergoing a bit of a revival all over Ireland. Only these days the ladies are sinking prosecco rather than Barry’s tea.
Fair play to them, I say.
For a taste of what Nollaig na mBan is like (in North Kerry, at least), you can listen to a lovely radio story from RTE here.