Dáithí Ó'Se, Ciara Kelly and more on the Christmas traditions they are looking forward to
TV presenter Dáithí Ó Sé at the RTE Studio in Cork wearing his Christmas jumper. Picture Dan Linehan
“As a child in West Kerry, coming around The Maum you’d see the whole parish around and all the lights would be on in the houses. Christmas was the only time of year when every window was lit up with a candle.
“Rita, Mícheál and I will have candles in our window. We’ll have the decorations and the tree – Mícheál always puts the angel on top. And you can’t have Christmas without the crib. We bought ours two years ago. It’s in the hallway, right there when you come in the door. These traditions have to start somewhere and maybe Mícheál will be talking about ours in 40 years.
“I love the Christmas songs. My favourite is Away in the Manger, sung in Irish – it reminds me of my youth and primary school. And of course no Covid restrictions will stop Santa Claus – though they might mean he won’t be able to get his hands on everything!"
“The sun was so important in pagan Celtic times – all life depended on it. They didn’t know if one day it’d never come back, so they organised a festival to the sun god just after December 22, the shortest day.
“They brought into their homes what was still alive in mid-winter – the evergreen. In Ireland, the only trees with leaves in winter were holly and ivy.
“I always bring in holly to put behind the pictures. This year it’s gleaming with berries. I put ivy on the roof of the crib – my father always did. I got my crib in Israel years ago. The images are all cut out in olive wood – Mary, Joseph, Jesus, camels, sheep. I keep it in the wardrobe. The kids are grown up but every year I bring it out.
“I put up the tree the week before Christmas and leave it until Nollaig na mBan. I send Christmas cards every year. It’s nice to get an actual card rather than a ‘happy Christmas’ text. I send about 40. I put all the cards I get on the mantelpiece and around the house.”
“Even when the children were small we always all got up at 8am on Christmas Day. We went downstairs to the living room together to see if Santa had come – he still does, even to the 20-year-old.
“There’s a big unwrapping of presents. A lot of what Santa brought over the years was a surprise – it still is. It’s a great feeling, sitting back, all the oohs and aahs. While they’re all looking at presents, I do a big breakfast: smoked salmon, rashers, sausages, pancakes. I’m still in my pyjamas through all this. It all happens within our own home so no Covid-19 restrictions can stop it.
“I cook the ham on Christmas Eve. We always have a few sneaky slices that evening with mince pies and a glass of brandy. My mum used to cook the ham on Christmas Eve too. My dad was a chorister and he’d be in the choir for midnight Mass. He always had a baked ham sandwich at 2am. It just wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without the ham.
“Christmas Eve’s my favourite day. It feels like the start of Christmas proper – I just love the anticipation.”
“In early November the Christmas music channels go on TV. I annoy the kids by putting them on way too soon. They say ‘ah Dad, can you wait another few weeks?’ I turn them up louder.
“My mother always insisted we go to her house a Sunday in November to stir the Christmas puddings and make a wish. When she got dementia, Jenny, my wife, said we’d make Christmas pudding. This year, with Covid, it was just the two of us and the two boys who’re still at home who did it.
“The four of us put up the Christmas tree – it’s a big family thing. We have music on, mince pies going. Once the lights are on the tree, we say to the boys ‘here’s the decorations – do your worst’. We’ve had the tree since they were born. We probably should retire it but it’s the family tree. We usually have it up by December 8, down by January 7. This year we put it up earlier.
“I love sending and receiving Christmas cards. My dad worked for the Posts & Telegraphs so I’m keeping his memory alive by sending cards.”
"When I was a kid, my dad read The Night Before Christmas to us every year. I’ve such lovely memories of that. Dad passed away when I was 18 and my mum bought us a copy with a note saying we should start our own tradition with our kids when we became parents. My kids are probably wondering why Mum’s crying when I’m reading it to them! It’s about the little moments of joy that stay with you as a kid. It’s about making those memories with my kids now.
We blast Michael Buble putting up the tree. We’re so lucky we haven’t had anyone close to us get sick – my heart goes out to all the people who’ve lost someone. Harry’s in senior infants so he’s going to school. My stepdad has diabetes – he’s high-risk and we’re all being careful. We’ll set up a video on Christmas morning and share it with the family Whatsapp group. Christmas will be different this year, but we’ll still make it special.”
- "It's hard not seeing the family and the cousins. Harry and Remi are at a stage where they change so much!"
- "Rita's parents were meant to come [from US] last Christmas and they decided to wait until Mícheál’s birthday in March. We all know what happened in March!"
- "All the women coming to the house for Nollaig na mBan, and get-togethers before Christmas. I’ll have visits from my three children strung out, family by family, between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The big gathering, all of us together, isn't going to happen — that’s hard."
- "The occasions that are always peppered through November/December: Catch-ups with friends from college, school, different groups you'd have a night out with. I've totally fallen out of love with Zoom calls. I've several bunches of pals I mightn't see all year. We always get together at Christmas for a few drinks, a meal. I'll miss them."
- "On Christmas Eve, we usually go into the city to take in the atmosphere. We go down Henry St and up Grafton St, get some food. And Christmas Eve Mass — that I'll miss. Our local church does a wonderful carol service, with about 10 choirs, a few weeks before Christmas; a great experience, but it can't happen this year."
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