Today sees the official end to the festive season, with Nollaig na mBan being celebrated by women around the country. The tradition recognises work carried out by women particularly in the home, throughout the 12 days of Christmas.
The twelfth and final day of Christmas, January 6th, was known in Ireland as Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas.
As a reward for their hard work over the Christmas season, it was a day off from all house work for women and traditional roles were supposed to be reversed in the home: men did the women’s work in the house while women rested and gathered together informally.
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