Christmas in Ireland: Christmas Day

The Irish like to spend Christmas Day with their immediate family. The day’s events revolve around Christmas dinner, the most festive meal of the year. Before sitting down to their own dinner, many families send hot meals or foodstuffs to less fortunate people living nearby. The Irish view these acts of charity as central to the celebration of Christmas. In past times a traditional Irish Christmas dinner usually featured spiced, boiled beef. Nowadays many families prefer roast turkey or goose. The meal closes with the long-awaited Christmas cake and, often, plum pudding as well.