Irish people love a good tradition, and Christmas time is no exception. Here are the best Irish Christmas traditions.
Christmas is a huge deal in Ireland, so much so that as soon as Halloween is over, you’ll spot the Christmas decorations slowly appearing around the country.
With Christmas comes traditions, and because we are such a traditional nation, we have some absolutely brilliant ones, which we will take a look at.
If this doesn’t get you in the festive spirit, then we don’t know what will. Here are the top ten best Irish Christmas traditions.
10. Christmas movies – our favourite way to spend an evening
Irish people just love Christmas movies, and you’ll definitely find a variety of family favourites all over the T.V. during the festive season.
Some of the most popular ones to watch in Ireland are Home Alone, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Elf, of course.
Christmas for Irish people just wouldn’t be the same without Christmas movie nights, and we never get sick of them!
9. Christmas drinks – the flavours of Ireland
Irish coffees, Baileys hot chocolate, and Baileys over ice are some of the Irish favourites when getting cosy on a Christmas evening.
We love our comforting, rich, and tasty drinks, which are perfect when watching our favourite Christmas movies.
If we head out for a coffee, we love to opt for festive drinks like gingerbread lattes or cinnamon cappuccinos.
8. Christmas Eve presents – just a little treat
One of the best Irish Christmas traditions is opening one present the evening before Christmas Day before Santa officially arrives.
Generally, it is a present from a friend or family member, just to get the kids excited for the following morning.
7. Christmas morning – the main event
Unwrapping the presents while in your pyjamas on Christmas morning is something really special.
Many countries do the whole Christmas event on 24 December, but in Ireland, 25 December is the main event.
The unwrapping of gifts is generally followed by a slap-up breakfast, more commonly the Irish fry, to line the stomach for the big dinner.
6. Christmas decorations – the best way to get in the festive mood
With the Christmas decorations comes the buying of the tree, which, in itself, is such a great tradition, especially if you opt for a real one.
Many Irish people store boxes and boxes of decorations ready for the big day. And, as soon as Halloween is over, just watch and see the Irish getting Christmas ready.
5. Selection boxes – any excuse to eat as much chocolate as possible
One of the absolute best Irish Christmas traditions is the selection box. These don’t tend to last as long as you might think.
The best ones are filled with yummy Irish chocolate. After all, we have some of the best dairies in the world, so our chocolate tastes like no other.
4. The Christmas outfit – we love to look our best
Christmas is the time of the year that everyone looks forward to in Ireland. And, with that comes the Christmas outfit, which will probably take weeks of shopping to acquire.
Everyone loves to look their best for the special festive gathering with family, so this outfit is taken very seriously.
3. St Stephen’s Day pints – drinks with friends
The day after Christmas is just as good as the main event because we tend to spend it catching up with friends over a few Christmas pints.
It’s such a great Irish Christmas tradition that brings people together every year for a bit of festive craic.
2. Midnight Mass – the most special event of the year
One of the nicest and best Irish Christmas traditions is attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
It is such a special tradition that even people that wouldn’t normally attend regular mass during the year love to attend this special event.
The choir, the lights, and the festive spirit at this mass makes it such a special tradition for Irish people.
1. Christmas dinner – the meal we have waited all year for
An Irish Christmas dinner is by far the best meal of the year and is therefore top of our list of Irish Christmas traditions.
Our mouth just waters thinking of the succulent roast turkey that took hours to cook, along with the roasties cooked in goose fat, and all the trimmings, of course. Bring on December!
