Holly in front of a thatched cottage in Ireland

For thousands of years, Celtic people decorated their homes with the mystical plant during Yuletide or winter solstice because it was believed the Holly symbolized the strength of hearth and home, while the prickly leaves offered protection against hostile energies! So as you hang your Holly and Ivy this season, you will be taking part in a custom that is thousands of years old and still done today! If your ancestors were Celtic people, they would have taken part in this tradition for many, many generations! Nollaig Shona Duit!  Danny

 

The roots of the Christmas traditions that we recognize today can be traced back to pre-Christian celebrations of the Winter Solstice. To the ancient Celts, the Winter Solstice was their Christmas. It was a time for clansmen and women to gather together with their families to celebrate the shortest day of the year and the rebirth of the sun. As Christianity spread across the western world and mixed with pagan customs, the festivities of the winter solstice became linked with the advent of the nativity. Back in 1990, myself and Robin James-Jones wanted to produce an annual Christmas concert that would honor the old customs, stories and songs from each of the Seven Celtic Nations. We spent untold hours researching the project, and in December 1990, Robin and I performed our very first Celtic Christmas program.  In 1993 a half hour version of the show premiered on the PBS affiliate WLAE-TV in New Orleans and was soon picked up by other PBS affiliates around the country. In 2004, Celtic Christmas was televised by Louisiana Public Broadcasting at McNeese University in Lake Charles. 

We wanted the program to show that, while all of the Celtic nations shared many of the same Christmas customs, each of them also developed their own distinct traditions, pageantry, music and feasting, many of which continue to be celebrated to this very day. For instance, the Scots celebrated  “Oidche Choinnle” (Night of Candles). Candles were placed in every window to light the way for the Holy Family on Christmas. In Ireland, the day after Christmas Day, December 26, was called Lá Fhéile Stiofán (Day of the Wren). This goes back to ancient times when a real wren was killed and carried around in a holly bush. Some processions still take place, but no wren is hunted or used.

                For many of us, Christmas traditions are such an important part of the Holidays. As a young boy growing up in Ireland, the Holidays were filled with many wonderful traditions. We would decorate our thatched cottage with holly berries which my brothers and sisters and I gathered from the yard. My mom would place them around our home and candles would be lit to protect the house and bring good fortune throughout the coming year.  There was always music and song filling the air and, of course, plum pudding!! Every year, as the season approaches, I recall these and so many more wonderful memories spent with family in the west coast of Ireland. It is my hope that Celtic Christmas brings you back in time to capture the essence of those wonderful Celtic custom. 

I hope this season is filled with love, peace and joy for each and every one of you. The next few weeks will be busy as the general hustle and bustle of the Season is upon us. But Christmas is an ideal time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives and to be grateful for the many gifts in our lives. The true spirit of Christmas is about love, children, good health, friendships, and so much more. From my family to yours, I wish you a very merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy new year!

Nollaig Shona Duit! Merry Christmas!
Danny