Thursday, January 06, 2011
Little Woman's Christmas
Tis January 6th - the Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night, The Twelfth day of Christmas.
I hope decorations are safely stowed away now.
But I have learned that there is more to this date than I ever knew of before. I am always pleased to learn things.
A couple of days ago somebody commented on something written by an old school friend of mine on facebook.
She said that this date was Little Woman's Christmas.
I had never heard of this, so of course went searching for information.
It is particularly observed in southern Ireland - and presumably in places where the Irish have migrated to.
I will use the words of Sheila Fitton, who is an actress and playwright.
Nollaig na mBan” or “Little Women’s Christmas” is an old custom that’s still celebrated by women all over Ireland. It goes back to the days when large families were the norm. Men never lifted a finger in the house to help, and were never expected to. If a man washed the dishes, he would be called an “auld woman” by other men. No full blooded Irish man was prepared to risk that!
But each year, after the Christmas holiday, tired women finally got a break – for one day, at least. On January 6th (the same day as the Epiphany), men would take over of the housework, offering women a chance to go out to relax with each other.
Never one to break with tradition, I returned to my hometown of Cork this year (from Dublin) to join my sisters and women friends to celebrate. As we sat overlooking the River Lee from Cork’s Metropole Hotel dining room, I thought, “We keep the tradition alive but, not in the same way our mothers did.”
During my childhood, I remember excited, shawled women hurrying to the local public house. On Little Women’s Christmas, they would inhabit this man’s domain without shame. Sitting in “the snug,” a small private room inside the front door, they would pool the few shillings they’d saved for the day. Then they would drink stout and dine on thick corned beef sandwiches provided by the publican. For the rest of the year, the only time respectable women would meet for a glass of stout would be during shopping hours, and then only because it was “good for iron in the blood.”
Sheila Fitton, actress and playwright
My day has not been a Little Woman's Christmas. Goodness, doesn't Christmas seem a long time ago now?
I have sorted laundry and done ironing and got some shopping in.
I was at the hospital for a blood test.
This afternoon I invented a meal using left over gammon.
By coincidence - the same old schoolfriend was sharing her own similar invention with us all on facebook today.
Take wok - fry large chopped onion, add cubes of gammon and turkey, throw in some chopped mushrooms and some chopped fresh tomatoes (didn't have any peppers). Make cheese sauce with plenty of mustard and a sprinkling of paprika - throw into wok. Boil tagliatelli - throw on a plate! Yummy! This was Mag's meal.
My version was a bit different. Fry onion, leek and mushroom in wok, throw in chopped gammon. Make a white sauce with Tewkesbury mustard; pour sauce over gammon and veg. Top with sliced left over boiled potatoes. Put in oven for half an hour. Yummy!
My sauce was made with soya milk and gluten free flour.
So, Sussex women have been doing as they always have done - no trips to the pub for a Guinness for us.
Nasty cold grey rain today.
I hope decorations are safely stowed away now.
But I have learned that there is more to this date than I ever knew of before. I am always pleased to learn things.
A couple of days ago somebody commented on something written by an old school friend of mine on facebook.
She said that this date was Little Woman's Christmas.
I had never heard of this, so of course went searching for information.
It is particularly observed in southern Ireland - and presumably in places where the Irish have migrated to.
I will use the words of Sheila Fitton, who is an actress and playwright.
Nollaig na mBan” or “Little Women’s Christmas” is an old custom that’s still celebrated by women all over Ireland. It goes back to the days when large families were the norm. Men never lifted a finger in the house to help, and were never expected to. If a man washed the dishes, he would be called an “auld woman” by other men. No full blooded Irish man was prepared to risk that!
But each year, after the Christmas holiday, tired women finally got a break – for one day, at least. On January 6th (the same day as the Epiphany), men would take over of the housework, offering women a chance to go out to relax with each other.
Never one to break with tradition, I returned to my hometown of Cork this year (from Dublin) to join my sisters and women friends to celebrate. As we sat overlooking the River Lee from Cork’s Metropole Hotel dining room, I thought, “We keep the tradition alive but, not in the same way our mothers did.”
During my childhood, I remember excited, shawled women hurrying to the local public house. On Little Women’s Christmas, they would inhabit this man’s domain without shame. Sitting in “the snug,” a small private room inside the front door, they would pool the few shillings they’d saved for the day. Then they would drink stout and dine on thick corned beef sandwiches provided by the publican. For the rest of the year, the only time respectable women would meet for a glass of stout would be during shopping hours, and then only because it was “good for iron in the blood.”
Sheila Fitton, actress and playwright
My day has not been a Little Woman's Christmas. Goodness, doesn't Christmas seem a long time ago now?
I have sorted laundry and done ironing and got some shopping in.
I was at the hospital for a blood test.
This afternoon I invented a meal using left over gammon.
By coincidence - the same old schoolfriend was sharing her own similar invention with us all on facebook today.
Take wok - fry large chopped onion, add cubes of gammon and turkey, throw in some chopped mushrooms and some chopped fresh tomatoes (didn't have any peppers). Make cheese sauce with plenty of mustard and a sprinkling of paprika - throw into wok. Boil tagliatelli - throw on a plate! Yummy! This was Mag's meal.
My version was a bit different. Fry onion, leek and mushroom in wok, throw in chopped gammon. Make a white sauce with Tewkesbury mustard; pour sauce over gammon and veg. Top with sliced left over boiled potatoes. Put in oven for half an hour. Yummy!
My sauce was made with soya milk and gluten free flour.
So, Sussex women have been doing as they always have done - no trips to the pub for a Guinness for us.
Nasty cold grey rain today.
