Little Christmas/Women's Christmas

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.

Precious flower

Heard of it, but I've never heard\seen of people celebrating it!

grenache

It's celebrated in West Limerick anyway. My mum has gone out on a girls only night on January 6th in the past.

Seaneh

Grew up in Athlone, family is half dub.

The only mention I ever heard of the 6th of January was that Italians get their presents from Befana on that day.

No woman in my family ever celebrated "little christmas" or "Nollaig na mBan" and to be honest I didn't have a notion it was actually a done thing until this thread.

Napper Hawkins

"Never heard of it" needs to be added to the poll.

ZzubZzub

I've heard of it, but had never celebrated it. That is, until I told my fiancé (an Englishman who'd never heard of it) it's a big holiday in the Irish calendar. He knows I was only havin him on, but we celebrate it every year now!!

.jacksparrow.

Is it still Xmas or what? Loads still have trees up etc but who is still celebrating like it's xmas?

This 6th of January lark needs to be stopped and everything took down New years day.

rubberdungeon

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.

6th January = the day the children around here go back to school, always thought they were off on January 6th.

iguana

Mint Aero wrote: »

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'm from Limerick, I'm 35 and it's not something I'd ever heard of it until a few years ago when my parents became good friends with some people from Cork. My parents hadn't ever heard of it before that either. It's a localised tradition, not a national one.

wow sierra

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

That's very sad - but maybe it would be nice to revive it in her honour. Get together on the 6th and remember her in a positive way by talking about the fun nights ye had.

Like someone else said this can be a sad time of year so anything positive to liven things up is good.

I don't really celebrate it as Women's Christmas myself but I know lots who do in Dublin. When I was a child we celebrated it as a family and lit 12 Candles and each person picked a candle to see which one would last longer. The person whose candle lasted longest would live longest. It was the last day of Christmas and the day you took down the decorations.

Cork Lass

I'm in Cork and celebrate this every year. About 12 or so friends meet for a meal and a few drinks - nothing extreme and definitely not a strip show. We always have a great time but this year we will be missing one as one of the group died last Feb. We will remember her on the night and will have a toast in her honour. This is a tradition that I love and will always make an effort to continue it..