You may have noticed that the day after Christmas (December 26th) is called Boxing Day in the U.K. and St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland. Besides being Bank Holidays in their respective nations held on the same day, the two days have very different histories.

In the U.K., a tradition began around the 1830's where the upper classes would literally “box up” small gifts for their servants, the poor, or even tradespeople. Christmases were so over-the-top in these wealthier households and servants often worked throughout the holiday. So, as a sort of thanks, small gifts would be given in different forms including money and leftovers from the Christmas feast.

Photo: almanac.com

In Ireland, there is a bit more depth to this day as December 26th recognizes two separate times in history. The more obvious one has to do with celebrating the life and martyrdom of St. Stephen—the first Christian martyr. Stephen was a Christian deacon in Jerusalem during the time directly following Jesus’ death. He defended the Christian faith to powerful Jewish rabbis, and as a result, was stoned to death in 36 CE.

Being a Catholic-centric country, this saint’s feast day became entwined with Celtic folklore. While it might not be printed on the calendar you bought from Eason's, the other name for this day in Ireland is Wren’s Day (or Lá an Dreoilín in Irish). There is no documented explanation for why exactly the wren came to be the centre of this day, but one story is that of the wren betraying the hiding place of St. Stephen while he hid among trees as the wren began flapping its wings drawing the attention of his persecutors. Another story tells about the wren pecking on the drum of a soldier that awoke the Vikings leading to an invasion and mass slaughter.

Photo: Independent.ie

Whatever the true reason, the wren has always been a revered symbol to the Celtic pagans as it was also attached to Samhain. The wren represented the end of the year as winter approached with the solstice and the robin represented the beginning of the year. Historically, on Wren’s Day local boys and men would dress in bright clothing calling themselves “Wren Boys.” Others dressed in suits made of straw and called themselves “Mummers.” These would then hunt for the scarce wren, cage it, and place the cage atop a pole. They would march through the towns asking for money to keep the wren alive. They would give a feather for good luck only to those who donated.

From the 20th century onwards, they used fake birds instead and still carried on the traditions. However, the practices altogether at present have now become as scarce as the wren itself and Irish people tend to opt for enjoying a pantomime on the last Bank Holiday of the year instead!

Gabby Dunne was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, and never left the States before meeting her Irish husband on the Vegas Strip. She moved to Dublin a year later and has been here for 12 years. She has one son and two stepchildren, and she works in early intervention for neurodiverse children. Gabby joined the AWCD in 2023 and is 'finally reconnecting with [her] American side!'