Christmas in Ireland certainly wouldn’t be the same without these ten things that always happen.
Christmas is a time of year that we all love, and it is a time that is so familiar to us, considering there are many things that happen year in year out.
Yes, some of these things might be unavoidable, but that’s what makes Christmas what it is.
With that being said, there are many things that always happen at Christmas in Ireland, and we are sure that you will relate to a few, if not all, of them.
So let us take a look at the ten things that always happen at Christmas in Ireland.
10. The video of the man who slipped on ice resurfaces – we love a good laugh
It might be 11 years since the original video aired on RTÉ News and became viral, but that doesn’t mean the Irish nation have forgotten about it.
The video, which everyone has seen at least several times over the years, has given us many a laugh. We are eagerly awaiting the video to resurface this Christmas 2021 season.
This has to be one of the best things that always happen at Christmas in Ireland.
9. Baileys gets added to everything – the perfect festive addition
Christmas in Ireland is when milk well and truly goes out the window. It is now absolutely acceptable to add Baileys to everything, even your morning coffee, without being judged and rightly so!
Baileys is the essence of cosy Irish Christmases.
8. We spend way too much on Christmas shopping – bye, bye, budget
Many of us head out on our yearly Christmas spree with a budget and end up spending way more on Christmas gifts than expected.
Sure, we might even treat ourselves to a thing or two for the reward of doing the shopping in the first place. Isn’t that right?
7. Chocolate becomes breakfast – don’t let the chocolate go to waste
Every Irish household starts loading up on the varieties of selection boxes early on in December.
Seeing as New Year means starting fresh, eating clean, and so on, it generally gives us a reason to eat all the chocolate in the run-up to Christmas, even for breakfast.
6. We wish for snow – the magic of a snowy Christmas
Irish weather is so unpredictable that some years we have blue skies and sun on Christmas Day, and some years it is bitterly cold and frosty.
However, there have been times when our winter wonderland wish has come true, so we keep wishing for a snowy Christmas.
5. We get a present we aren’t too happy about – we’re great at pretending
Every Irish person gets a present that they are not so chuffed about.
And, truth be told, as the polite, non-confrontational nation that we are, we have been practising our ‘face of excitement’ for this exact situation.
4. We eat too much – one of the things that always happen at Christmas in Ireland
Christmas is a time when balance goes out the window. Instead, we use the excuse, “ah sure it’s Christmas”, to eat to our heart’s content, and we absolutely love it!
Christmas would not be the same in Ireland without all the delicious homemade food on offer!
3. Someone always gets stuck untangling Christmas lights – the worst task ever
Around the beginning of December, families put up their Christmas trees, which generally means that the fairy lights come down from the attic.
It is now that we wish that we had taken the time last year to put them away nicely. Instead, someone ends up getting stuck untangling these lights, which is a task no one wants.
2. Christmas swim – a Baltic start to the day
The traditional Christmas swim is taken on by many Irish people each year, and it is the perfect way to start your day and get your metabolism going. God knows we need it for what lies ahead.
1. The nation watches the Toy Show – a great Irish tradition
The nation’s favourite show airs every year at Christmastime and has done since 1974.
It is such a legacy that some politicians have even suggested the Late Late Toy Show day to be a bank holiday. Wouldn’t we just love that?
The evening generally consists of plenty of snacks, cosy PJs, a roaring fire, hot chocolate, and our loved ones around us as we nestle down to watch the most Christmassy Irish show there is.
There really is nothing like Christmas in Ireland, and it is because of these ten things that always happen at Christmas in Ireland that it makes it the time of the year that we all eagerly await.
With Christmas 2021 approaching, we wonder how many of these will be ticked off the list for you?
