Folklore And Customs.

[gness]

Today in Ireland we celebrate Nollaig na mBan. Woman's Christmas. It's the day women have a break from household chores and visit friends and neighbours for tea and cake and the men do chores and childcare.

Unlike Men's Christmas (Christmas Day) when all the goodies were fresh and tasty, by Woman's Christmas treats were dry and stale.....so we go to the pub now. :-)

Another tradition...probably in Cork and Kerry...we're a bit off the wall here...was for a mother, on this day, to rub the tail of a herring across the eyes of her children to protect them from disease all year. This was how my children learned to run fast and hide.

One I may try if Dave will go to the well....Women's Christmas so I can't...and fetch a bucket of water. At midnight tonight the water will turn into wine. To spy on the bucket or sample the wine is said to bring bad luck so nobody knows if this is true or not. But hey....after the last two years I will give it a go..... :-)

[choux]

"It's the day women have a break from household chores"

In my experience, there is no such thing...

[Atheist]

Choux, I agree. Even on Nollaig na mBan Mrs A bashes my ankles with our vacuum cleaner when I am trying to come out in solidarity with her.

[choux]

:)

[rowanwitch]

Sounds a great tradition, any excuse.

[The Builder]

Isn't there some tradition in Ireland that on New Year's Day, you have to check the wind direction?
A portent of bad luck if it comes from the East.
Good luck for all if from the West.

The Irish have got it covered though. I don't think it ever stops blowing in Ireland ;o)))

[gness]

I was lucky today.....the battery in the vacuum cleaner died. Will take until tomorrow to charge, I'm sure.

Be a nice every Sunday tradition, Rowan. You okay?

Of course we have it covered, Builder....we have everything covered. Mind you we did have two wind free days last year....or was it the year before?

[-SharonA-]

Thanks for that tidbit. I just asked my DIL if she was celebrating.
I won't print her reply but she was impressed with my knowledge of Irish Lore.

[gness]

I shall keep you informed then, Sharon. If you have Irish relatives getting married remind them to stick a statue of The Child of Prague under a bush in the garden the night before. That will ensure good weather for the wedding. If you find the head of the statue has fallen off without human interference the weather will we glorious.
I did that for our wedding. Dave spent some time considering whether or not to go through with the ceremony.

[-SharonA-]

Lol why gness? He took it as an omen?

[sunny-dave]

When your wife-to-be has had a Honda called Damian ....

[-SharonA-]

Lol!! Tough one.

[gness]

He coped with being told never to harm the fairy trees in the garden, having to walk in the middle of the road when returning home from the pub....don't want the fairies jumping out of the ditches at us and if we get lost walking in the mountains having to turn our clothes inside out....but the statue was almost the last straw, Sharon.... ;-)

[-SharonA-]

Too much eh Dave?!!

[jno]

do you have any of those German-style women's days when females go round symbolically cutting off men's ties?

[gness]

No fun here, Jno. Can’t think when I last saw a man in a tie.