The Celtic Roots of an Irish Christmas

Céad Míle Fáilte – and welcome to your Letter from Ireland for this week. An Irish Christmas holds layers of meaning, and as the mid-winter sun barely clears the hills here in Cork today, I’m reminded of how our ancestors must have watched these same skies with great interest and anticipation of a new year. How are things in your part of the world today?

I’m sipping on a warming cup of Barry’s tea as I write – though our ancient ancestors might have preferred their own brews during the midwinter festivities! I hope you’ll join me with whatever you fancy as we explore how our modern Irish Christmas interweaves with far older traditions.

The Celtic Roots of an Irish Christmas

I received the following message from Brian in Minnesota last week:

“Mike, my family has always celebrated Christmas with Irish traditions, but recently I learned about Newgrange and the winter solstice. It got me wondering – how much of our Irish Christmas comes from older Celtic celebrations?”

Thanks for that, Brian. Your question touches on something that makes Irish culture so special – our ability to layer new traditions on top of old ones, creating something both fresh and eternal.

You mentioned Newgrange, and that’s the perfect place to start. Let’s begin by reminding ourselves that Newgrange predates the arrival of the Celts in Ireland by over 2,000 years – so we are really talking about all ancient Irish cultures rather than just the more recent Celtic culture.

This magnificent passage tomb of Newgrange, older than the pyramids, was built so that the rising sun on the winter solstice would illuminate its inner chamber. Even today, people gather there on December 21st to witness this ancient spectacle. It shows us how important midwinter was to our ancestors – a time of darkness, yes, but also of hope and renewal.

The old Celtic acknowledgement of midwinter wasn’t just a single day but a season of celebration, much like our modern Christmas season that stretches from early December through to Women’s Christmas on January 6th. Our ancestors would have gathered around fires, shared stories, and made offerings to ensure the sun’s return and spring’s eventual arrival.

Look closely at our Christmas traditions today, and you’ll see echoes of these ancient customs. That Christmas candle we place in our windows? While it symbolises welcoming Mary and Joseph or guiding priests during the Penal Times, and nowadays welcomes our diaspora home – this candle carries echoes of the older Celtic tradition of keeping a flame burning through the longest night of the year.

Even our Christmas feast has ancient roots. The traditional Irish Christmas cake, rich with dried fruits and preserved through winter, reflects older midwinter practices of preserving and sharing special foods. And that Christmas morning splash in the sea that some brave souls still practice? Remarkably similar to ancient Celtic midwinter cleansing rituals.

The holly branches that we use to decorate our homes at Christmas were sacred to the Celts. They believed the holly offered protection throughout the year but especially during the dark winter months. They too would bring holly into their homes during midwinter – sound familiar? And when we hang mistletoe, we’re following a tradition that the Druids considered deeply sacred, believing it brought healing and blessing through the mid-winter.

Perhaps most striking is how the timing of ancient gatherings still live on in our modern celebrations. The twelve days of Christmas, stretching from December 25th to January 6th, mirror the Celtic pattern of taking multiple days to mark significant transitions. Our ancestors would have gathered in their communities during these darkest days, sharing food, stories, and hope for the coming spring – just as we gather with family and friends today.

Even the tradition of the Wren Boys on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26th) has its roots in Celtic customs. The wren was considered a sacred bird to the Druids, and the ritual of the wren hunt may have originally been part of midwinter ceremonies marking the death of the old year and birth of the new.

So, what I find most beautiful about all this is not just how these ancient traditions have survived, but how they’ve evolved. Each generation appears to have added its own layer of meaning while keeping the heart of these customs alive – the gathering of people, the sharing of hope, and a celebration of light in darkness.

Do you see any echoes of these ancient traditions in your own Christmas celebrations? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.

Slán for now,

Nollaig Shonna to you and all your loved ones,

I’ll be back with the next Letter from Ireland in two weeks time,

Mike.