Arcadia Ireland

The festive feeling is well under way in Ireland and our students are getting to enjoy it before they break for the holidays. They might have noticed a few differences between here and back home;

• Christmas starts in early November
  With no Thanksgiving we just head straight into it. On November 1st, the Halloween decorations disappear and Ireland is transformed into a winter wonderland (except no snow!)
• Christmas Crackers
  Looking like giant a wrapped sweet, crackers are cardboard tubes wrapped in bright paper. When pulled by two people the cracker splits with a pop to revel a joke, paper crown and usually a gift or toy.
• The foods
  Ireland has a whole new range of festive foods to try! Plum pudding is traditionally eaten on Christmas day, this dessert is made from sugar, flour, and a variety of dried fruits (no plums though). Before serving, we sometimes pour alcohol over it and light it on fire. Yum! Mince pies are usually eaten in the days around Christmas and don’t worry they do not contain any ground beef! They are small pastries filled with a fruit and alcohol mix, great with cream and custard! Sherry Trifle, consisting of layers of sponge, jell-o, custard, fruit salad, cream and sherry is also eaten on Christmas day.
• Stephens Day
  The day after Christmas day is also a holiday day in Ireland, usually spent eating leftovers and watching various sporting events such as horse racing. For the more active, it’s also a very popular day for charity events such as swims in the sea (yes it is really cold!) hikes, walks and cycles.
• The Irish are obsessed with one particular song
  Fairytale of New York was released in 1987 but every Christmas it is still the most popular and most played song in Ireland! Written by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, this Irish folk-style ballad tells the story of Irish immigrants in New York. I'm sure our Fall students must have heard this song a few dozen times in the past weeks. They maybe even witnessed some of the terrible Irish dancing that sometimes goes with it!
• ‘The Women’s Christmas’
  Also known as ‘Nollaig na mBan’ or ‘Little Christmas’, the 6th of January is traditionally the day when women get to finally rest after the all the preparations of Christmas. A little like Mother’s Day, this day traditionally involves women sleeping late, getting breakfast in bed and dinner cooked for them. Restaurants and bars are usually very busy with gaggles of ladies enjoying the final night of Christmas.

So there you have it, the Arcadia guide to an Irish Christmas! From all the staff in Arcadia Ireland, have a very happy holiday!!

Nollaig Shona Daoibh go léir!