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Fanfare! Beannachtaí Nollaig na mBan

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Emily

Emily

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Today (6th Jan) here in Ireland it is Nollaig na mBan (Null-ag nah-man) meaning Women's Christmas, also known as Little Christmas. Traditionally women would down tools after working hard all over Christmas and have a day where the men do the work instead. Today it is still celebrated (for the same reasons usually:rolleyes: ) although not as widespread. I usually have a dinner for all my women, a whole group of us come together and it is lovely!
(I was out until all hours last night though, as my brother had a significant birthday, so my Nollaig na mBan revelries will be a much subdued affair)

A most worthwhile acknowledgement on your festivities calendar for the women in your life (including yourself if you are one (or identify as one or whatevs :) )
 
I like that one! For the past 14 years, though, we've made Christmas a 'no work' day, even for me. Everything that can be done beforehand is. We cook a big meal Christmas eve, and eat leftovers and salads on Christmas day. The only things I do are the essential daily animal care and a few dishes. SO much better than the 'traditional' work-intensive Christmas! Of course, I think I'll take Nollaig na mBan, too, if I can get it. ;)
 
E G Logan said:
It's St Stephen's Day in Italy. Auguri!
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I'm afraid you're more than 10 days late - St Steven's day is on 26th December- the day after Christmas. He is the first Saint of the Church.

On the 6th we celebrate the Epiphany in Italy when Jesus is made "manifest" to the world, hence we have the three kings who following the star find him in a stable in Bethlehem.

But here in Italy the 6th of January is most famous for the feast of the "Befana". This is a celebration unknown in other parts of the world because the "Befana" is a sort of woman father Christmas, but instead of being nice and jolly she is ugly and travels on a broomstick, so you can imagine what an enigmatic personality she is. Children put out an empty sock on the night of the 5th and if they have been good the Befana fills it with sweets, if they have been naughty, she fills it with coal.

To emphasize how much Italians love the Befana, they have made her feast day, 6th January, a National holiday. A few years back the government abolished it, alongside other "superfluous" feast days because outsiders claimed Italy had too many holidays! So when a lot of the festivities were cut out, nothing happened but there was a minor revolution when it came to the feast of the Befana, the protestations were so strong that the government had to reinstate the Befana as a National Holiday. Here is a glimpse of such celebrations in the Grand Canal of Venice La Regata delle Befane a Venezia 2019: evento imperdibile There's a video at the end of the article which is kind of cute.
 
Yes, yes, I'm a day late, sorry. 6th January is 3 Kings Day in Switzerland. We start the day with a lovely sweet breakfast bread. Hidden in one of the buns a small plastic king. Whoever finds it is king for the day ... and can boss their siblings around. I have many happy memories of telling my sister to do the chores. (Not that I poked the cake first or anything.)

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Barbara said:
Yes, yes, I'm a day late, sorry. 6th January is 3 Kings Day in Switzerland. We start the day with a lovely sweet breakfast bread. Hidden in one of the buns a small plastic king. Whoever finds it is king for the day ... and can boss their siblings around. I have many happy memories of telling my sister to do the chores. (Not that I poked the cake first or anything.)

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Well, if we're doing pictures of food... [the Daughter went into a baking frenzy over Christmas]
 

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Eva Ulian said:
That's ok.;)
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Fortunately I only wished my neighbours 'Auguri'... and didn't say why! Some of them probably thought I meant for New Year -- or they did.

Italian saints' days are hard to keep up with. I'm always hurtling round to the supermarket only to find it shut, for some holiday I've forgotten.
 
@Barbara , what a lovely tradition too... I hope that was a photo of one of your delicious buns ;)

@Eva Ulian , that's really interesting, never knew that. I'm looking forward to reading more! And yay to all Italians for their Befana protests!!

@Marc Joan , really, you will have to start posting out little taster boxes so we can have the full experience...

And talking of cake, I made a birthday cake tonight for a little boy we know whose birthday is tomorrow. I finished decorating it, all sweets and marshmallows with blobs of blue icing, and some member of my household looked at it a bit askance and asked why I had put nipples all over it (weep) I had to send the mother a photo in case she was scandalized tomorrow. The trials of cake making.
 
Rainbird said:
@Barbara , what a lovely tradition too... I hope that was a photo of one of your delicious buns ;)

@Eva Ulian , that's really interesting, never knew that. I'm looking forward to reading more! And yay to all Italians for their Befana protests!!

@Marc Joan , really, you will have to start posting out little taster boxes so we can have the full experience...

And talking of cake, I made a birthday cake tonight for a little boy we know whose birthday is tomorrow. I finished decorating it, all sweets and marshmallows with blobs of blue icing, and some member of my household looked at it a bit askance and asked why I had put nipples all over it (weep) I had to send the mother a photo in case she was scandalized tomorrow. The trials of cake making.
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Hello @Marc Joan - what are "taster boxes"? Is it something you do here?:confused:
 
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