W YE A R IN IR E L A N D

IRISH NEW YEAR

TRADITIONS
•
NEW YEAR’S EVE IS A HUGE EVENT IN IRELAND, AS OF COURSE IT IS ALL OVER THE
WORLD. NOWADAYS PEOPLE CELEBRATE THE OCCASION IN SEVERAL WAYS. MANY INVITE
FAMILY AND FRIENDS ROUND TO THEIR HOMES TO WELCOME THE NEW YEAR IN
TOGETHER WHILE ENJOYING A FEW DRINKS AND NIBBLES, OTHERS DO MUCH THE SAME
THING EXCEPT THEY GO TO THE LOCAL PUB INSTEAD. SOME ENJOY SPECIAL
ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS AT LOCAL HOTELS, WHILE MANY MORE GO TO THE OPPOSITE
EXTREME AND STAY AT HOME, WATCHING NEW YEAR’S EVE TELEVISION WITH CLOSE
FAMILY MEMBERS. WHEREVER PEOPLE ARE, THE CLIMAX OF THE EVENING IS USUALLY A
COMMUNAL COUNTDOWN TO MIDNIGHT TO WELCOME IN THE NEW YEAR.IT WASN’T
ALWAYS LIKE THIS OF COURSE. OVER THE CENTURIES, IRELAND DEVELOPED SEVERAL
NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITIONS DESIGNED TO BRING GOOD LUCK AND BANISH MISFORTUNE
OVER THE 12 MONTHS AHEAD. THESE ARE THE MAIN TRADITIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE
STILL FOLLOWED AS A WAY OF MARKING OUR HERITAGE AND KEEPING TRADITIONS
ALIVE.
1. AN EARLY SPRING CLEAN
• CENTURIES AGO IT WAS CUSTOMARY TO BEGIN THE NEW
YEAR WITH A SPOTLESSLY CLEAN HOUSE. AS A RESULT,
HOUSES WERE THOROUGHLY CLEANED AS IT SIGNIFIED A
FRESH START TO THE NEW YEAR.
2. GETTING RID OF BAD LUCK
• ANOTHER TRADITION INVOLVED BANGING ON DOORS AND
WALLS OF THE HOUSE WITH
CHRISTMAS BREAD TO CHASE THE BAD LUCK OUT OF THE HO
USE AND INVITE THE GOOD SPIRITS IN.
3. HONORING THE DEAD
• ON NEW YEAR’S NIGHT, FAMILIES WOULD REMEMBER
THOSE WHO DIED THE YEAR BEFORE BY SETTING A
PLACE FOR THEM AT THE DINNER TABLE AND LEAVING
THE DOOR UNLATCHED.
4. PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEW
YEAR
•A LOT OF MEANING WAS ALSO PLACED ON WHO
WOULD BE THE FIRST PERSON TO PASS THROUGH THE
DOOR ON NEW YEAR’S DAY. IF IT WAS A TALL, DARK,
HANDSOME MAN, THIS WOULD BRING THE HOME AND
ITS OCCUPANTS GOOD LUCK, BUT IF IT WAS A RED-
HAIRED GIRL IT WOULD BRING HARDSHIP AND GRIEF.
5. AND IF YOU WERE
SINGLE ...
•THOSE
WHO WERE SINGLE WERE ADVISED TO PLACE SPRIG
S OF MISTLETOE, HOLLY, AND IVY LEAVES UNDER TH
EIR PILLOW SO THEY WOULD DREAM OF THEIR FUT
URE WIVES AND HUSBANDS.
6. GOOD LUCK ON THE STROKE OF
MIDNIGHT
•AT MIDNIGHT, MANY WOULD ENTER THE
HOUSE THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND
LEAVE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR FOR
GOOD LUCK.
 IRISH FOOD FOR THE NEW YEAR
TRADITION HAS ITS ORIGINS
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, BASED
ON THE ABUNDANCE OR LACK OF
CERTAIN CROPS. THE INFLUENCE
OF RELIGION IS ALSO SEEN IN THE
IRISH CULINARY NEW YEAR
TRADITIONS.
BREAD OR CAKE
• ON NEW YEAR'S EVE IN SOME PART OF IRELAND, IT IS
TRADITION TO TAKE A LARGE LOAF OF CHRISTMAS BREAD OR
CAKE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE AND HAMMER IT AGAINST THE
CLOSED DOORS AND WINDOWS. SOMETIMES, IT IS FIRST
BITTEN INTO THREE TIMES TO REPRESENT THE HOLY TRINITY.
THIS SUPERSTITIOUS ACTIVITY FOCUSED AROUND FOOD WAS
DONE TO DRIVE OUT ANY MISFORTUNE IN AN EFFORT TO LET
HAPPINESS IN. TO SOME IRISH, NEW YEAR'S DAY IS KNOWN AS
THE "DAY OF BUTTERED BREAD" BECAUSE OF THIS
TRADITION.
CORNED BEEF
• IN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES, IRELAND EXPORTED
MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CORNED BEEF TO FRANCE, ENGLAND
AND AMERICA. BECAUSE SO MUCH BEEF WAS EXPORTED, THE
LOCAL MARKET PRICE OF BEEF WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE
AVERAGE IRISH PERSON TO AFFORD. IT WAS THEREFORE
SAVORED AS A SPECIAL TREAT ON NEW YEAR'S TO REPRESENT
ABUNDANCE AND WEALTH. THIS TRADITION IS CARRIED OUT
TODAY AS FAMILIES TRADITIONALLY EAT CORNED BEEF.
CABBAGE
•CABBAGE, UNLIKE EXPENSIVE CORNED BEEF, WAS A COMMON
SOURCE OF NUTRITION FOR THE FARMERS OF IRELAND. IT
EVEN PREDATES THE POTATO. IT WAS DOMESTICATED AND
FARMED AS EARLY AS 600 B.C.. EATEN WITH CORNED BEEF, IT
REPRESENTS GOOD LUCK AND PROSPERITY -- TWO THEMES
ALL FAMILIES HOPE TO WELCOME IN WITH THE NEW YEAR.
RECIPE
• PER IRISH TRADITION, EAT CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
ALONG WITH POTATOES, CARROTS AND ONIONS FOR A NEW
YEAR FILLED WITH LUCK AND ABUNDANCE. THIS MEAL IS
CREATED QUICKLY BY BOILING AND SIMMERING CORNED
BEEF TO DESIRED TASTE AND TEXTURE, ADDING SEASONING
OF SPICES TO TASTE. CABBAGE IS BOILED IN A SEPARATE
POT FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES ALONG WITH
CARROTS, POTATOES AND ONIONS. ADD SALT AND PEPPER
AS WELL AS ANY OTHER SPICES DESIRED.
 Most of these traditions
have now faded of course,
but they are a reminded of
simpler times when people
needed all the good luck
they could get just to
survive. Some, however,
may still be observed
occasionally, if only as a
way of celebrating the
country’s rural past