Celtic Mid-Winter Traditions

Slàinte maith, h-uile latha, na chi ‘snach fhaic!
Gun cuireadh do chupa thairis le slainte agus sonas.
A h-uile là sona dhuibh ‘s gun là idir dona dhuib.
Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

Good health, every day, whether I see you or not!
May your cup overflow with health and happiness.
May all your days be happy ones.
 Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

 Here are some winter traditions that have come down to us:

• Winter Solstice
• Going Door to Door
• The Kylemore Carols
• Yule and the Yule Log
• Little Christmas
• December and the Sun Gods
• The Mummers
• Carols
• Hunting the Wren

Winter Solstice

While the Solstices were not as important to the ancient Irish as the major fire festivals; Lughnasadh (August 1); Beltane (May Day, May 1); Imbolc (February 1- Bridgit); and Samhain (November 1, Halloween), they were none the less celebrated. Of the Solstices and Equinoxes, the Winter Solstice was the most important, since it marked the rebirth of the sun after the shortest day. Many cultures celebrated this time to commemorate the birth of various gods. The Winter Solstice falls between two major fire festivals Samhain (sow-an) or Halloween and Imbolc. In Newgrange, County Meath, there is an ancient tomb covered with beautiful artwork, which remains in darkness for much of the year. The double spiral on this site is one of the symbols which can be seen at the Newgrange site. Once a year, on the Winter Solstice, the tomb fills with light to reveal the beautiful artwork on the walls. While it seems best to leave its origins to the historians, there is no doubt that the ancient Irish considered this day important. It also marked "The Shortest Day" or "The Darkest Midnight" and was cause for celebration, since - once the shortest day has passed, it meant the journey toward Spring could begin.

Going Door to Door

While the tradition of "caroling" and going door to door to sing for ones neighbors is only done during the Holiday Season in recent years. In times gone by, it was common to carol from door to door for many of the major festivals. It is thought that certain tunes were found particularly useful for this tradition. The album "To Warm the Winters Night" celebrates this tradition. A dance entitled "The Horn Dance" was performed from All Souls to the Twelfth Night in hopes of bringing in the luck for the New Year! In many of the Celtic cultures, the tradition of going door to door and caroling or the idea of procession was common. All Souls Night or Samhain (sow- an) has come down to us as Halloween, when going door to door is still part of our culture. "The Horn Dance" comes from Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire. Eight men danced through the village with antler horns on their heads in order to "bring in the luck" for the New Year. The tradition still continues in Abbots Bromley. This dance is thought to have its origins in Pre-Christian Fertility Rites.

The Kylemore Carols

The Kylemore carols are a beautiful collection of Christmas carols from the village of Kylemore. In the depths of harsh winter, a reminder of sacred celebration invests these haunting old melodies, many of which are sung to this day in Kylemore and elsewhere. For a sample of "The Darkest Midnight," arguably the most well-known and loved Kylemore Carol, see track number six on the album To Warm the Winter's Night.

Yule & the Yule Log

Yule marks the rebirth of the suns power. It is yet another symbol of death and rebirth - going from the darkness into the light. For many, Yule runs from before the Solstice until New Year's Day. Many people associate Yule with the "Yule Log," a piece of wood decorated with evergreens, mostly holly and candles. Holly was another ancient symbol for the Irish; it was thought to hold special properties, since it was "neither tree 'nor bush".

Speaking of logs - here's a lovely poem from Mother Goose that teaches children about the best logs to burn for a good winter fire:

In the Green Wood from Mother Goose

(making the fire)
Oak-logs will warm you well,
That are old and dry;
Logs of pine will sweetly smell
But the sparks will fly.
Birch-logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all;
Hawthorn-logs are good to last -
Catch them in the fall.
Holly-logs will burn like wax,
You may burn them green;
Elm-logs like to smoldering flax,
No flame to be seen.
Beech-logs for winter time,
Yew-logs as well;
Green elder-logs it is a crime
For any man to sell.
Pear-logs and apple-logs,
They will scent your room,
Cherry-logs across the dogs
Smell like flower of the broom.
Ash-logs, smooth and grey,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come your way -
Worth their weight in gold.

Little Christmas

Traditionally Yule ended on January 6th. The Christian Calendar celebrates "Little Christmas" on January 6th also. During my childhood, this was the day that the decorations were taken down and yet another turkey was cooked to mark the end of the season.

December and the Sun Gods

December marks the celebration of many solar "saviors" and Gods, usually on December 25th. Many of them have the word "Light" in their titles. They include, Baal, Dionysus and of course, Jesus Christ.

The Mummers

While the origin of the mummers remains unclear, they were still a vital part of Irish tradition up to the present century. The "Straw Boys" or "Mummers" dressed in disguise, often using straw to cover their faces, and went from door to door. They usually requested and received food or money or some token of gratitude for their "performance." This tradition was particularly strong in the North of Ireland. County Armagh has long been associated with mummers.

Carols

Carol: dance or a song of praise and joy.

Originally, the term carol described a song meant for dancing, especially to honor the changing of the seasons, not just the winter season, but every season.

Over time, like a great deal of older music, we came to use this music only at this time of year. Carols were generally in the vernacular and were not sung at church. Church 'carols' would have been in Latin. In more recent times, these old carols in both Irish and English have found a place within houses of worship. But, this is in fact a fairly recent development, especially in Ireland, when Vatican II allowed for masses in English and Irish, as opposed to strictly Latin.

Here and there, you can find a 'marcoronic' hymn (e.g. Deus Meus, recorded on Celtic Lamentations), in both Latin and Irish, but it is rare.

Few of the Irish hymns have come down to us. One exception is "Don Oiche iUd i mBeithil, That Night in Bethlehem (recorded on To Warm the Winter's Night).

Hunting the Wren

The tradition of Hunting the Wren was originally associated with pagan ritual. Historically, a wren was captured and was thought to bring luck for the new year. In modern times, the tradition of "hunting the wren" involves musicians moving from gathering to gathering playing music on "St. Stephen's Day" (December 26th), and "passing the hat." Áine's original composition "Hunting the Wren" celebrates this tradition.

As with so many dates from the ancient Irish calendar, a Christian holiday replaced the original. St. Stephen's Day celebrates the first Christian martyr. However, the celebrations of the day seem to have little relation to St. Stephen himself, although there is one tale that recounts the 'chattering' wren betraying St. Stephen to his enemies as he tries to hide from them in a bush.

Thereafter, the wren, much like poor St. Stephen, was to be hunted down and stoned to death!

In Irish folklore, the wren was viewed as the cleverest of birds, and hunting the wren is thought to have a stronger relationship to sacrificing a sacred symbol.

Over time, the tradition became associated with 'mumming' (another tradition involving disguise using costumes made of straw). This is where it can get a little cloudy, since mummers plays, usually involving St. George, are more associated with English tradition. However, there is a mummers play involving St. Patrick. Irrespective of details, the core theme of mummers plays is that of death and resurrection, the death of the old year and the rebirth of the new. The age old expression of a vital system.

At the very least, 'hunting the wren,' reflects the universal practice of dressing in costume or disguise and having an 'out of body' or 'out or everyday life' experience, in order to relieve the tensions and constraints of every day life.