EUGENE DALY continues his series on various aspects of Irish folklore and customs

 

Advent brings us from the time of remembering the dead in November into the anticipation of a birth. The first Sunday after November 30th is the first Sunday of Advent; there are four Sundays in the lead-up to Christmas.

The word Advent, from Latin, means ‘coming towards’. It invites us to think about what ‘comes towards us’ in this season. Just as we would await the birth of our own children, we should approach Christmas with awe, anticipation and making ready to receive the gifts the Christ-child brings.

Traditionally Advent was a time for preparing and making everything ready for Christmas, and this involved both inner and outer preparation. The house would be cleaned, everything washed and scrubbed. Sometimes the dwelling house and even the out houses (for cattle, pigs, hens, etc.) would be whitewashed. Roman Catholics were expected to go to Mass; even the ‘hardy annuals’ (who did not attend during the rest of the year) made a special effort during Advent.

In the past Advent was a time of fast. People were urged to give up meat and to fast on Fridays as a cleansing and preparation for the festivities ahead. A remnant of this is the custom of eating ‘stockfish’ (salted ling) with white onion sauce and potatoes. This is still common in West Cork.

Advent is the time to write Christmas cards and letters to friends and family in other parts of Ireland and abroad. Up to the mid twentieth century poor Irish families awaited the ‘American Letter’ from sons, daughters, sisters or brothers. This would contain news, greetings and a sum of money to help the family celebrate the season in style.

At Advent country people went to town with produce such as butter, eggs, chickens, geese and turkeys to sell at the Christmas market. They exchanged presents with their town cousins and bought toys, gifts, maybe some clothes and the goods necessary for the celebrations–candles, dried fruit, spices, sugar, sweets, tea, whiskey, wine, tobacco. This was done on a much smaller scale than today. People didn’t have the money and Santa’s gifts were much smaller than now.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own