In many Christian traditions, the Feast of the Epiphany is the day the three kings finally arrived in Bethlehem to bring gifts to baby Jesus. Apart from being a religiously valid reason not to feel too bad if your Christmas gifts arrived a few days late, the Epiphany is often seen as a culmination or finale to the holiday season. In some places it’s tradition to take your decorations down today, and in others it’s common to throw a little party. It’s also the twelfth day of Christmas if you’ve ever wondered whether that song starts before or on Christmas day.
In parts of Ireland like County Cork and County Kerry, this holiday is called Nollaig na mBan, Little Christmas, or Women’s Christmas. That last name comes from the fact that traditionally it’s a day when men are supposed to take over all household duties while women have the day off. It’s seen as a much-needed break after spending the entire season running around making the holidays happen, and it’s pretty standard for women celebrating this tradition to go out and meet with female friends and relatives, sometimes even having parties.
These traditions largely disappeared in the 1900s, but nowadays they’re making something of a comeback in parts of Ireland. Does your family have a tradition for the Epiphany? Let us know on Facebook what you do to wrap up the holiday season!