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Burnout from Christmas? Ireland Does a Second Christmas Just for Women
Nollaig na mBan has saved the mental health of Irishwomen for centuries
The Women’s Christmas, Nollaig na mBan (pronounced ‘nollig na man’) is on Jan 6th, marking the end of the Christmas period, or Twelfth Night.
Often called Women’s Little Christmas, or Little Christmas, it’s the highlight of many an Irishwoman’s year.
It’s the day when the main man in her life shops, cleans, cooks and serves dinner for her and her women friends, then makes himself scarce.
My friend Shazz gave me my first invitation and initiation into this age old tradition, thirty years ago. She said “Next year, don’t wait to be invited, you just come!”
Her friend Patrick did the honours for ten or twelve of us. He laid out a banquet complete with twenty bottles of wine, went home for a few hours, then once we’d all gone out on the town, he came back and cleaned up, bless him!
By the time we got to the first pub we were high on good food and drink, but mostly on each others’ hilarity and company. The pubs were full of women, with barely a man to be seen.
If there were men, the tables had turned this night and it was they who were hidden away in the snugs…
