Go on, have a cuppa tea on Nollaig na Mban

The old Irish tradition of women putting their feet up on January 6th should be observed, writes Sinead Gleeson

BY THE TIME tomorrow arrives in some households, the Christmas tree will be down and the children will be preparing to return to school. What many people don’t know is that January 6th is also known as Nollaig na mBan or women’s Christmas. This old Irish tradition acknowledges the graft of weary mothers and grandmothers over the festive season.

Tradition dictates that the women get to put their feet up, while the men take over the housework. Flashbacks to Father Ted and Dougal in the kitchen on Mrs Doyle’s night off might spring to mind, but most modern men are handy in the kitchen and not afraid to wield a toilet brush.

The tradition used to be strong in the southwest, particularly Cork and Kerry. While men took care of home and brood, women would congregate in each others houses for food, conversation and songs. At one time, women sipped tea (or possibly porter) with their sandwiches, but now it is more likely to be Prosecco with brunch.

Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has celebrated Nollaig na mBan for the past 12 years having inherited the idea from an aunt.

This year she will host a breakfast for 40 women in the Shelbourne Hotel with guests including former minister Gemma Hussey.

“It’s very important to keep a tradition like this alive, because it connects us to deeper parts of ourselves. Years ago women went to each other’s houses to mark the day. This year we want to tap into that feminine, Mná na h-Éireann spirit to see if we can make a difference,” says O'Malley-Dunlop.

What was once a rural Irish celebration has expanded overseas. Like St Patrick’s Day, Nollaig na mBan has been embraced by migrant communities around the world.

The US, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand celebrate it. In British Columbia the Irish Women’s Network marks the day with a dinner attended by about 70-100 women of all ages.

“Some bring their teenage Canadian-born grand-daughters to introduce them to their Irish heritage,” says Eilis Courtney, the network’s president. “Others have lived here for more than 40 years and just want to re-connect or maintain their links with other Irish women.”

In celebrating the occasion, are we raising a glass to something archaic? Does it reinforce gender stereotypes about women as domestic drones and men as helpless types who can’t boil an egg? I don’t think so. Housework deserves acknowledgement. There’s also a subversive glee to women-only spaces.

Personally, I won’t gripe if someone wrestles a vacuum cleaner out of my hand and replaces it with a cup of tea.