Christmas is NOT over just yet, oh no!
Oíche Nollaig na mBan
Bhí fuinneamh sa stoirm a éalaigh aréir,
Aréir Oíche Nollaig na mBan,
As gealt-teach iargúlta atá laistiar den ré
Is do scréach tríd an spéir chughainn ‘na gealt,
Gur ghíosc geataí comharsan mar ghogallach gé,
Gur bhúir abhainn shlaghdánach mar tharbh,
Gur múchadh mo choinneal mar bhuille ar mo bhéal
A las ‘na splanc obann an fhearg.
Ba mhaith liom go dtiocfadh an stoirm sin féin
An oíche go mbeadsa go lag
Ag filleadh abhaile ó rince an tsaoil
Is solas an pheaca ag dul as:
Go líonfaí gach neomat le liúraigh ón spéir,
Go ndéanfaí den domhan scuaine scread,
Is ná cloisfinn an ciúnas ag gluaiseacht fám dhéin,
Ná inneall an ghluaisteáin ag stad.
Women’s Christmas Night
The storm that blew with such fury last night,
Women’s Christmas Night,
Escaped from some remote madhouse behind the moon
And came screaming as a lunatic through the sky.
Neighbours’ gates grated like the gaggling of geese,
The throaty river roared like a bull;
My candle was quenched like a blow on the mouth
That ignited a sudden spark of anger.
I would wish that same storm to return
On the night when I am feeble,
Returning home from the dance of life
As the light of sin is fading,
So that every moment be filled by shouting from on high,
That the whole world become one uproarious din,
And that I would not hear the silence approach
Or the engine of the car cutting out.
Seán Ó Ríordáin
So, you thought that was Christmas? You took your decorations down, put them back in their boxes and places them reverentially back in the loft in preparation for next year? Well, I have some breaking news, Christmas is certainly not over yet! For those of us of Irish extraction, January the 6th is a very special day, not only do we historically celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, January the 6th is Women’s Christmas, or Nollaig na mBan (in Gaelic).
So, don’t be fooled, Christmas doesn’t finish until midnight on the 6th, and the tradition in Ireland is that it’s a day for women to indulge and celebrate, and even for some, to be waited on hand and foot by their men. Traditionally it was recognition that women worked like crazy over the Christmas and New Year period and the 6th was, well, it was a time to take a well-earned day off. Today across Ireland the 6th is still recognised as Women’s Christmas however, it’s more of an excuse for a girly get together. It’s said that women in rural Ireland used to rear turkeys to raise money for Christmas, and would spend any leftover cash on the Nollaig na mBan celebrations and let me tell you, those rural pillars of society knew and know how to party!
We’re not the only ones with a celebration the 6th. It is after all Epiphany, the day when the wise men arrive at the manger (according to Christian tradition) and at a later date, the day John the Baptise baptized Jesus in the river Jordan, subsequently, many Christian countries recognise the date also, indeed in some countries, it’s a national holiday.
In France to celebrate Epiphany they eat Galette des Rois (translates as King Cake), made of puff pastry and frangipane. The tradition of King Cake extends through other countries including Spain (who have Roscón de Reyes) & Greece (Vasilopita), they even had a similar twelfth night tradition involving a cake or pie in England. In French and English custom a bean and a pea was included, the receivers of which became king or queen for the evening. In Italy, on the eve of epiphany gifts are traditionally delivered to children by Befana, with wine and morsels of food left out for her the night before. Does this sound familiar in any way – enter a big fat man bearing gifts!!
So, what have I planned? I have decided to hold a Women’s Christmas in proper Christmas fashion for a few friends. We’re having mairteoil spíosraithe, a traditionally spiced beef from County Cork. Historically I make my own but this one I brought back from home, and it is from award winning butcher & black pudding king Jack McCarthy in Kanturk in North Cork, they don’t normally deliver but I have a cousin whose best friends husband’s drinking partner knows a woman whose sister once worked in the shop, (welcome to Ireland!!). His is a spiced beef with cider and Guinness, so that should be fabulous and in the tradition of Nollaig na mBan, a guy made it for me!
There will also be a festive chocolate dessert of chocolate mousse with chestnuts. The recipe is a variation on the one I blogged in the summer of last year. I just LOVE a good chocolate mousse and can’t resist the festive twist.
Other than that, it will just be a nice relaxed evening, a few glasses of prosecco, a couple of glasses of a nice Cote de Rhone I picked up in October and perhaps a glass or two of a nice Irish malt whiskey my dad gave me last time I was over! We’ll belatedly wave in the New Year and take advantage of ANY reason to have a little bit of a hooley! Austerity, dry January and the diet can wait for another few days!
Nollaig na mBan faoi mhaise dhaoibh!
What’s on today!
Head, Eyes & Teeth – Catwa Head, Rigged Eyes and teeth - Catya v3.2
Skin – [theSkinnery] Amber (Catwa Applier) sorbet
Body, Hands & Feet – Maitreya Mesh Body - Lara V4.0
Physics – Temptation – 5.5 BONUS C+ D+ SuperTease - Physics
AO – VISTA ANIMATIONS *HUD 5.33*ZOE FULL BENTO-V1 NOFACE
Shape – [Elle et Lui Style] Tiffany Shape, Catwa Bento Head Catya - Maitreya Body
Nose Piercing – ^^Swallow^^ Princess Piercing Nose 01
Tattoo – [CAROL G] Nomadic Owl - Black
Dress – Kaithleen's Jara Dress - Red Maitreya @ the January FaMESHed
Shoes – N-core SCORPIO "Fatpack" for Maitreya High Feet
Pictures taken at Freindship Manor
