Christmas in Ireland: Christmas Eve Today

Today many people still sit down to a meatless meal on Christmas Eve, often some combination of fish, potatoes, and vegetables. Some people also observe an old custom whereby the man of house prepares the potato soup for the family in a ceremonial way. Irish children customarily hang up their Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve. In recent years it has become popular to attend Midnight Mass later that evening. Before going to bed some families put more wood on the fire, place some food on the table, and make sure the candles in the windowsills are still lit. Some may also leave a door unlocked, another symbolic gesture welcoming the Holy Family to enter and refresh themselves.