Why a new, improved Nollaig na mBan is not enough

In rekindling the old tradition, Irish women have toppled a mean-spirited custom but the fact we need it at all is a sign that we have a long way to go before gender inequality is consigned to history, writes Clodagh Finn

BEING a bit short of inspiration, I retold that old Three Wise Men joke at Epiphany yesterday. You know the one; it goes: “What would have happened if it had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men?” “They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole and brought practical gifts.” Boom, boom.

I like it because it’s vaguely funny, contains a shred of truth and it’s a nice nod to the fact that January 6 is also Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Little Christmas, an old Irish tradition that has experienced something of a comeback in recent years.