Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Little Christmas

[Emily]

(I know I posted this last year, but it's worth mentioning again )

Once upon a time in Ireland the Celts celebrated the feminine energy with a feast for the Ladies of the Land and their hearts. It was an obligatory feast that allowed women to have a massive party without the presence of their men. They would leave the house chores for their husbands and head to the fairy rings. There they would dance, drink mead and bless Mother Earth so that the spring would bring forth a good crop.

This, the twelfth and final day of Christmas, (Jan 6th), is known in Ireland as Nollaig na mBan – or Women’s Little Christmas. "As a reward for their hard work over the Christmas season, it was a day off from all house work for women and traditional roles were supposed to be reversed in the home: men did the women’s work in the house while women rested and gathered together informally".

May the partying commence, wonderful women! Cake? I baked this one specially

 

[Steve C]

I guess you'll be having a hangover in the morning then. Have a wonderful time wont you

 

[Barbara]

My lovely, next year please give me a count down to this Nollaig thing. I've already done all the hoovering today - no day off - and I have no cake in sight. Preparation time seems essential for such a day and I need to find a suitable moment well in advance to manipulate himself into picking up a mop to make sure I'm chore free so that I can fest the night away with other girlies.

Enjoy. Such a shame you live so far away.

 

[Emily]

The date was not stable, (but it usually ranged from the 3rd to the 6th of January). It coincided with the end of The Christmas Celebrations, and the beginning of the end of winter, so really, you have a bit of leeway. Just don't move from the chaise longue tomorrow and encourage some beautiful specimen to feed you grapes and champagne for the day.

 

[Barbara]

encourage some beautiful specimen to feed you grapes and champagne for the day

The problem with that is, the cat doesn't know how to peel the foil off the champagne, popping the cork scares him, and he usually confuses grapes with marbles, so I don't have high hopes on being fed and watered while on the chaise lounge.

 

[Ancora Imparo]

I've never heard of that, @Rainbird! I've only a few minutes left of this day, so I hope you had a happy Nollaig na mBan! Sounds like a fantastic idea for a celebration. Of course, the Celts have all the best ideas! x

 

[Emily]

The problem with that is, the cat doesn't know how to peel the foil off the champagne, popping the cork scares him, and he usually confuses grapes with marbles, so I don't have high hopes on being fed and watered while on the chaise lounge.

Darnit. And I thought he and I had a Good Understanding on the value of pampering your beloved when I was over there. Must have gone over his fluffy head. Or the pampering is all one sided...

I've only a few minutes left of this day, so I hope you had a happy Nollaig na mBan!

My husband was off working so... no. But I will hopefully take several hours locked in a room with a spicy tea and my laptop tomorrow!! (I'm so exciting, I frighten myself at times)

Of course, the Celts have all the best ideas!

They surely do St. Brigid's Day/Imbolc is coming along next at the start of February. I think the proliferation of feast days was an excuse to keep the drink flowing!!

 

[Ancora Imparo]

Oooh, spicy tea. Sounds decadent Hope you get that time with your laptop tomorrow.

Ah, Imbolc. Worth lighting a candle for.

If you like lovely cards, Check out Pagan Shop : Home : Pagan/spiritual and fairy/fantasy greeting cards, prints and gifts at Moondragon
(if it doesn't link just google moondragon.com). Their cards for all periods of the year are frighteningly beautiful. I could buy up pretty much every one of them. The hares... the foxes... oh, I wish I could draw!

 

[Emily]

Oh WOW. Love them all!! I was part of an exhibition a couple of years ago (it was a fundraiser) where we (artists) were given these 3ft resin hares and we had to decorate them, and after they were auctioned off. It was fantastic. I love, LOVE hares anyway. Mine had a midnight landscape painted on its body with a fairy sitting on his back (His name was Nuk Nuk after a pet hare my brother in law had as a boy). Nuk Nuk is still curled up in my head waiting to bound out as a story one of these days Off to drool at the Pagan Shop

 

[Ancora Imparo]

That sounds amazing. I've seen some of your illustrations and they're beautiful too! I bet your hare was lovely. One of my favourites in MoonDragon is their moon hare. Beautiful. They did one of two foxes meeting in the moonlight, mirrored in a lake and I sent it to my friend and didn't even take a note of the artists. Argh! It was incredible too. Enjoy the Pagon page. xx