Saint Stephen's Day is a popular day for visiting family members and going to the theatre to see a pantomime. In most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, the day is usually known as Boxing Day, especially in Northern Ireland and County Donegal.
Wren Day – or Lá an Dreoilín – is a traditional festive day celebrated in Ireland on 26 December, also known as St Stephen's Day. Typically in the past, a group of 'Wren Boys' dressed in worn clothes would parade through the streets carrying poles decorated with sprigs of holly.
In some places, St Stephen's feast day is traditionally a day for many Italians to visit the Nativity scenes at the churches. Other events on St Stephen's Day in different parts of Italy include markets, carnivals and festivals.
For most Irish people, the day after Christmas - St. Stephen's Day - is a big night out in the pub. For many in Ireland, the holiday season actually begins the day after Christmas, which in the south they call Saint Stephen's Day but further north they call Boxing Day.
Buttery sponge cakes, clementines, mince pies and flasks of hot mulled wine made this one of the most memorable picnics of the year. Below is the recipe for St. Stephen's Day stew.
Traditionally, men and boys hunted a wren and placed it on top of a staff decorated with holly, ivy and ribbons. This was paraded around the neighbourhood by a group of 'Wrenboys'—typically dressed in straw masks and costumes—who sang songs and played music in exchange for donations.
What's the difference between St. Stephen's Day and Boxing Day?
In Ireland, when the entire island was part of the United Kingdom, the Bank Holidays Act 1871 established the 26 December as a bank holiday. The day is referred to as Saint Stephen's Day in most of Ireland, and as Boxing Day in most of Ulster (especially in Northern Ireland and County Donegal).
Public Life. Banks, post offices and many other businesses and organizations are closed on St Stephen's Day. However, stores and pubs are generally open, although they may open later and close earlier than usual.
The day's festivities also included parades featuring boys and men—also called “wren boys,” or “straw boys” or “mummers”—dressed up in masks and costumes or in suits made of straw. As they processed through their villages, they would collect money for a charity while dancing, singing, and playing music.
Boxing Day is celebrated on Dec. 26 by the United Kingdom, its commonwealth countries and some former colonies. Stores run shopping deals, similar to Black Friday, and fans cheer on sporting events such as soccer, cricket, rugby, horse racing and hunting.
Lunch is the day's main meal, lasting up to two hours! If you plan to eat lunch with locals, block out time. A typical Italian lunch consists of a primo (pasta, soup or risotto dish), a secondo (meat or fish -based dish) and a contorno (side dish).
In all Germanic lands he became the patron of health and of horses, and being confused with St. Stephen of Jerusalem he shares in his honors on December 26, such as the "Stephen-Cup," drunk to good health, and horseback rides around churches and through villages.
Traditionally, a wren was hunted on the Isle of Man every Saint Stephen's Day, as in Ireland. Usually, the wren's body would be hung inside the 'wren bush' – a ball-shaped frame made from two crossed wreaths of holly or ivy, decorated with ribbons.
Boxing Day, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries, particularly Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, holiday (December 26) on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.
Although Americans don't recognize Boxing Day as a holiday, people in many other parts of the world, including Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Australia, look forward to the day after Christmas each year. Let's take a look at a few of the theories about the origins of Boxing Day.
Stephen died on 15 August 1038. He was converted to Catholicism on 20 August 1083. August 20 was originally celebrated in 1092 AD after Ladislaus I made it a holy day. Before Queen Maria Theresa made it an official national holiday in 1771, it was celebrated as St Stephen's Day.
The Irish for wren, dreoilín, evolved from draoi-éan, meaning prophetic bird or druid bird and this reiterates that fact. Of course, this bird was also associated with the betrayal of St Stephen and thus was hunted on the saint's feast day.
St. Stephen was appointed by the apostles to distribute food to the poorer members of the community — a model of the generosity we celebrate each Christmas. He died because he was accused of blasphemy for preaching Jesus Christ. His last words as he was stoned to death were “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
The Wren Boys and the Mummers would march through small townlands and villages, demanding money to keep the bird alive. At the end of the day, the money would be used to throw a big party for the townsfolk. The Wren Boys were joined by local musicians and would hand out feathers to those who donated for good luck.
Breakfast is often called 'the most important meal of the day', and for good reason. As the name suggests, breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health.
Dinner: Also called “supper” or “tea” (which can lead to confusion if you are invited: should you arrive for tea time or dinner time?), dinner is served earlier than in many European countries, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The consistency of the dinner varies: if it is a dinner, there will be meat accompanied by ...
