Christmas, Happy to You

not making a habit of starting a conversation by quoting wikapedia, yet in some cases it tells it true… If "Nollaig, Shona, Duit/Daoibh" was literally translated, word for word, into English, it would be "Christmas, happy, to you". The British English expression "Happy Christmas" is more common in Ireland than its American English equivalent of "Merry Christmas". this greeting certainly puts a wrench in a ridiculous debate about holiday greetings back on the shores of my native homeland…here in eire, the spirit of “happy” is a constant presence. though ‘tis true it is a mostly catholic country, the greeting is more about wishing you well rather than identifying you by a specific spiritual belief. beyond this general baseline of the irish being a welcoming and inclusive crew, the raising of glasses of good cheer at this time of year is enhanced by traditional decor of holiday lights, santa sightings and the hustle and bustle of everyone preparing themselves for christmas, which is a day for church and family…. and the day after aka st. stephen’s day, which is a day i’m told, to either snuggle by fireside in jammies all day or head to the pub to catch up with friends.

beyond the fact that in the usa we don’t have a name for the day after christmas, how is the irish version any different that what we do back home? i suppose, not much — except that in the preparation, the beast of consumerism is tamed quite a bit. and that significant shift is palpable. having been there in mid to late october, i can verify that store fronts and store merchandise were dedicated to halloween — or samhain which is its more proper reference. being that they don’t have thanksgiving, perhaps they can be more leisurely about the distinction between one holiday and the next? though i think more importantly, the irish still value people above profit. most stores open at 9:30 am and close by 6:30 pm. this is true whether you are in the tiny town of ballina county mayo or the bustle of the big city of dublin. once i got over the fact that i couldn’t rush out to pick up whatever i thought i needed when the thought occurred that i needed it — i found a new respect for the fact that the irish were not about to sacrifice their personal time on the off chance they might bring in a few extra euros. now THAT is a refreshing perspective. (if you are a “boomer” from the usa you might also recall that this was the way it was when we were growing up.)

this practical protocol for doing business does not impede their exuberance for all things shopping and/or slàinte mhaith. people are still jostling about between stores with their shopping bags (mostly brought to the store with them fyi) and if anything, the need to make a reservation for dinner was more important as holiday parties were non stop in the weeks leading up to christmas. being a mostly outside observer, it is heartwarming to watch people gather together to share a laugh. knowing full well that not everybody gets along with everyone else no matter what one’s nationality, the irish seem to have a knack for being able to put that aside for the greater gift of a good time to be had by all. (guinness and good whiskey might have something to do with more amenable natures but still — it’s a skill the rest of us, particularly americans, would do well to emulate) because our return home meant adjusting the actual date of the holiday for the gathering of our clan, it also made room for shifting old expectations for a deeper meaning of celebrating with loved ones. which means i have more to say about this year’s christmas experience back in the states. (being that there are twelve days of christmas, it’s too soon to write about it as i am still experiencing them.) still the culminating thought in all of it is best summed up by the epiphany from dr. seuss’s good ole mr. grinch:

Welcome Christmas. Bring your cheer,
Cheer to all Whos, far and near.
Christmas Day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to grasp.
Christmas Day will always be
Just as long as we have we.
Welcome Christmas while we stand
Heart to heart and hand in hand.

cheers - and happy christmas (or whatever holiday suits best) to you!

and what to my wondering eyes should appear when getting out of the taxi on grafton street?

photo by dj