Also called Ireland
Women's Christmas
Women's Little Christmas
Nollaig na mBan
Scotland
Là Challuinn
Là na Bliadhna Ùire
Other
Old Christmas Observed by Christians in Ireland and the Irish diaspora, particularly women
Scottish Highlanders Type Christian, Irish and Scottish Significance visit of the Three Kings to Jesus, former date of Christmas Observances religious services, gift giving, family gatherings, meeting friends Date 6 January in Ireland, 1 January in the Scottish Highlands | ||
Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan, 'Women’s Christmas') is one of the traditional names in Ireland for 6 January, which is also known in other parts of the world as the Feast of the Epiphany. By the year AD 1500 eastern Churches were celebrating Christmas on 6 January and western churches were celebrating it on 25 December even though both were using the Julian Calendar. It is the traditional end of the Christmas season and until 2013 was the last day of the Christmas holidays for both primary and secondary schools in Ireland.
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In the Scottish Highlands the term Little Christmas (Scottish Gaelic: Nollaig Bheag) is applied to New Year's Day, also known as Là Challuinn, or Là na Bliadhna Ùire, while Epiphany is known as Là Féill nan Rìgh, the feast-day of the Kings. The Transalpine Redemptorists who live on Papa Stronsay celebrate 'Little Christmas' on the twenty-fifth day of every month, except for December, when the twenty-fifth day is of course celebrated as Christmas Day.
In some parts of England, such as Lancashire, this day is also known as Little Christmas. In the Isle of Man, New Year's Day on 1 January was formerly called Laa Nolick beg in Manx, or Little Christmas Day, while 6 January was referred to as Old Christmas Day. The name Little Christmas is also found in other languages including Slovene (mali Božič), Galician (Nadalinho), and Ukrainian.
In Scandinavia, where the main celebration of Christmas is on Christmas Eve, the evening of the 23rd is known as little Christmas eve (Danish: lillejuleaften). In Norway and Sweden, Little Christmas Day refers to 13 January (Norwegian: Tyvendedagen; Swedish: Tjugondedag), twenty days after Christmas, and is regarded as the day when ornaments must be removed from Christmas trees and any leftover food must be eaten.
In some parts of the Spanish-speaking world, Christmas Day is strictly religious, and gifts are exchanged on the feast of the Epiphany, when the wise men (or Magi) brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Tradition names them Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. The custom of blessing homes on Epiphany developed because the feast commemorates the time that the three kings visited the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The 12 Days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day (December 25) and end on January 5, eve of the traditional date of the Epiphany.
In other parts of the world, it is sometimes referred to as Old Christmas or Old Christmas Day, so called for the same reasons as in Ireland.
Women's Christmas
Little Christmas is also called Women's Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan), and sometimes Women's Little Christmas. The tradition, still very strong in Cork and Kerry is so called because of the Irish men taking on household duties for the day. Some women hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, and aunts. As a result, parties of women and girls are common in bars and restaurants on this night. Children sometimes buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers.
In Ireland and Puerto Rico, it is the traditional day to remove the Christmas tree and decorations. The tradition is not well documented, but one article from The Irish Times (January 1998), entitled On the woman's day of Christmas, describes both some sources of information and the spirit of this occasion.
Set dancing
A "Little Christmas" is also a figure in Irish set dancing. It refers to a figure where half the set, four dancers, join together with hands linked behind partners lower back, and the whole figure proceeds to rotate in a clockwise motion, usually for eight bars.