The Irish Celebrate Nollaig na mBan, or Women’s Christmas, on January 6 and Lá Fhéile Bríde, St. Brigid's Day on February 1

 

In Ireland, January 6 has long been celebrated as Nollaig na mBan, or Women’s Christmas, a tradition with both Christian and Celtic roots. On the religious side, it is also called the Feast of the Epiphany, and the 12th day of Christmas, when the tree and decorations are taken down.

University of Connecticut Professor Dr. Mary Burke has described Women’s Christmas in James Joyce Quarterly as “a day on which housewives took a break from the season's chores and ate their preferred foods together in what was (or evolved into) a woman-only celebration…. Nollaig na mBan appeared to be a tradition passed on orally from mother to daughter over generations.”

In Dublin, the Irish Writers Centre is holding a Women of Magic and Science celebration at Pearse Street library on Monday, January 6, featuring writers Jessica Traynor, Zoé Basha, Marianne Lee, Nuala O’Connor, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Anne Tannam and Sophie White.

In the US, the Irish American Partnership marks the occasion as a way of  celebrating “women’s leadership within the family and community.”  On Wednesday, January 8, the Partnership holds its annual Nollaig na mBan Women’s Leadership Celebration in Washington DC, where it honors Lady Mary Peters, the legendary Northern Irish Olympic Champion & Founder of the Mary Peters Trust. The breakfast event takes place at the Cosmos Club. 

On Wednesday, January 22,  the Partnership brings its Nollaig na mBan celebration to Boston, when United States Ambassador to Ireland Claire D. Cronin is honored for her tenure at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin.  The breakfast event takes place at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 

 Additional upcoming Boston area events in praise of Irish women such as St. Brigid, the patroness saint of Ireland, include “Echoes of Brigid: Voices of the Feminine Spirit of Ireland,” presented by Here Comes Everybody, a Boston Irish theater troupe.  The event takes place at the Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville at 3:30 p.m. on January 26, and features poetry, prose, drama and music.  Purchase tix here.

On Friday, January 31, the Irish Pastoral Centre annual Lá Fhéile Bríde/ St. Brigid’s Day celebration at 11 a.m. at its headquarters in Adams Village, Dorchester.  The event features an afternoon or prayer, followed by a light lunch and tea/coffee. 

On Saturday, February 1, the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston holds its annual Lá Fhéile Bríde/ St. Brigid’s Day celebration. 

For year round details on Irish cultural activities in Boston, Massachusetts and New England, visit IrishBoston.org.