The soft glow of candle light in each window announces the coming of Christ. Homes throughout Ireland place a candle in the window to light the way for Mary and Joseph as they search for shelter each Christmas Eve. Holly sprigs and wreaths adorn doorways and window sills in anticipation of Christmas. Children leave sacks at the foot of their beds in hopes that Santa might fill them with Irish Christmas gifts. After Christmas Eve service, when the children are asleep, Santa arrives and gobbles a homemade seed cake and a glass of milk left to energize him for his long journey.

The Christmas season in Ireland is more of a religious celebration to honor the birth of Christ than a secular holiday. It is celebrated from Christmas Eve through Epiphany, a holy day twelve days after Christmas to celebrate the visit of the three wise men to honor the baby Jesus.

A traditional Irish family Christmas will likely include a feast of roast goose or turkey, with potato stuffing, plum pudding and seed cakes for dessert. Irish families throughout the world show pride in their Irish Heritage by trying some traditional Irish Christmas recipes from generations past. With the luck of the Irish, they may get to sip home-made eggnog from an old Irish family recipe as they listen to tales of grandfather’s Irish roots and Christmases long ago.