- Preparation for the holiday
- How the holiday is celebrated
- Festive table
- New Year traditions
- Irish Santa Claus
- Where to celebrate the holiday
Ireland is considered one of the most mysterious and interesting countries in the world, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. If you want to celebrate the New Year in an unusual setting, then you should go to Ireland. New Year's traditions in this country are harmoniously intertwined with Christmas ones, complementing each other and creating an amazing festive world.
Preparation for the holiday
Every Irishman considers it his duty to start preparing for the celebration in advance. Already in the twentieth of December, the streets and central squares are transformed: original illuminated compositions appear on the windows, spruce trees decorated with colorful garlands are installed, and numerous lanterns are lit.
Christmas markets, which open at the end of December, deserve special attention. The fair for the Irish is a great opportunity to buy souvenirs made in traditional techniques, as well as buy gifts for family and friends.
As for personal space, local residents pay special attention to its cleaning. The fact is that, according to popular legend, the new year will “enter” with pleasure only in a clean room and will bring health and prosperity. The apartments are carefully tidied up, and all old things are thrown away. Clean tablecloths are laid on the tables, a New Year's beauty is placed in the living room, and a wreath made of pine needles and cones is hung on the front door.
How the holiday is celebrated
Celebrating the New Year is associated in the minds of the Irish not only with a family celebration, but also with a sense of joy and noise. Therefore, on the night of December 31 to January 1, a crowd of people gathers on the main streets of large cities, which actively takes part in mass processions and events. On the central square of Dublin, a mesmerizing action unfolds, which is a theatrical show program with the participation of the best creative teams of the city. By midnight, fireworks of amazing beauty can be seen in the sky, which, as a result, turn into a festive fireworks.
Some Irish people prefer to celebrate the New Year at home, gathering at the family table. At the same time, local residents believe that during New Year's Eve, you cannot swear with anyone or offend anyone. Often, the owners open the doors of houses so that anyone who wants to can go to the light and take part in the celebration. Such hospitality, according to local residents, will provide financial well-being for the next year.
Festive table
Irish cuisine combines simple ingredients with exquisite flavors. Among the favorite products of the Irish, potatoes, meat, cabbage and other fresh vegetables occupy a special place. The following must be present at the New Year's table:
- lamb stew;
- colcannon (mashed potatoes with herbs and cabbage);
- boxy (potato pancakes);
- koddle (sausage, vegetable and potato stew);
- Goody dessert;
- a variety of puddings;
- crubins (pork leg stew);
- stewed lamb.
Local beer and whiskey are used as alcoholic drinks for the New Year. An integral New Year's dish in Ireland is the seed cake, which is a fragrant bread with the addition of caraway seeds. Tasting a piece of seed cake is an obligatory ritual that brings success in business.
New Year traditions
The New Year's celebration is saturated with ancient customs that have survived to this day. Many of the rites have pagan roots and are designed to bring luck in the coming year. The most significant traditions for the Irish are:
- divination for the betrothed, which consists in the fact that girls on New Year's Eve put sprigs of mistletoe or lavender under the pillow in the hope of seeing their future spouse in a dream;
- before the New Year, the Irish ring the bells in order to scare away the evil forest spirit and bring peace and tranquility to the house;
- treating strangers and neighbors with a variety of sweets on the eve of the holiday.
- preparing firewood is an important element of the celebration, since this ritual is designed to bring comfort and a sincere atmosphere to the house.
Also for the Irish, festivities are of great importance, during which there is a kind of cleansing of bad thoughts. The noise made by a crowd of people, according to legend, can ward off trouble from a person in the coming year.
Irish Santa Claus
As in other countries of the world, Ireland has its own New Year storyteller. Since ancient times, he was called Daid-na-nolag, and outwardly this mythical character resembles an old man with a long white beard. He wears a red cloak adorned with white stars. Instead of a staff, the Irish Santa Claus has a sack and a magic wand with a star-shaped tip in his hands.
Modern Santa Claus looks almost the same, but over time, it becomes more and more like Santa Claus.
Daid-na-nolag puts gifts for obedient children either under the tree or in the shoes placed near the fireplace. If the child behaved badly all year, then he will be punished in the form of deprivation of the gift. Irish children two weeks before the New Year begin to write letters to the main storyteller of the country and look forward to his arrival on New Year's Eve.
Where to celebrate the holiday
Today companies targeting tourists from different countries offer many options for celebrating the New Year in Ireland. Firstly, it can be both the capital and any small city. In Dublin, you will have the chance to witness the three-day New Year's festival from December 30th to January 2nd. In addition, if you wish, you can stroll along the cozy streets, look into local pubs, listen to pleasant music and explore historical sights.
Secondly, lovers of thrills and picturesque landscapes should go to Akhill Island, where dawn is greeted on New Year's Eve. This is a mesmerizing sight, which is accompanied by applause and shouts. On January 1, a swim in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean is organized for the daredevils.
