Not everyone spends their Christmas Day slumped in front of the television in a turkey-induced fug. BRIAN O'CONNELLtook to the streets of Cork to see how people are spending the festive days.
Olga Bibrzycka
I’m Polish so I’m going home for Christmas and spending time with my family. I’ve been in Ireland for four years and because the plane tickets are so expensive, we haven’t been able to go home every year.
In Poland, we start Christmas Eve with a huge dinner with our whole family, with no meat at all. We sing all the Polish songs and give presents. I’ll spend too much on presents – almost €2,000 so far. It’s ridiculous. I love everything about Christmas. I had never tried turkey before coming to Ireland and it’s nice.
Paul Marekia and son Kieran (2)
I’ll go out with my family for dinner to an Indian restaurant. It’s a normal celebration for me. We don’t have money to go to spend this year. I’ll spend maybe €50 on presents. I won’t get a present and I won’t give my wife one, either. If we were back home in Kenya I would go to see my mom and we would roast goat meat. Christmas is okay in Ireland but because of the weather you can’t stay outside.
Arona Quigley
I’ll be working at my stall until 5pm then I’ll go home to be with my husband, who is Irish. I’m from Israel originally. My husband is not really into Christmas and for me it’s only my second one in my life. We have other holidays in Israel. We make each other our presents and for our families. Because I am vegetarian and my partner is vegan, we bring our food to the Christmas dinner.
Michael Lyons
Christmas Eve is a workday for the employees here in Jerh O’Connor Funeral Homes. I’m off though and will be going to England to my family for the weekend. Sometimes I stay at home – it changes from year to year. We’ll be near Windsor and stay until a few days after Christmas. We’ve been requested to bring black and white pudding, spiced beef and Barry’s tea. We never get expensive presents. We have an arrangement that we just get a small present for everybody, so this year will be no different. Just something to hand over in the spirit of Christmas. I’m gone past Santa myself since last year just.
Polly Barrett
On Christmas Eve, I’m going to go to a bar called Henchy’s at about 2pm and have a drink there while my friends have about three or four pints. Then I’ll drive home to Belgooly and have Christmas Eve with my mum and uncle and go to bed early. I live so far away I can’t drink and drive. I go to that bar every Christmas Eve with my friends and we play Trivial Pursuit and give each other Christmas presents.
I just moved into a house in Cork so from Santa I’m hoping for a casserole dish, non-stick frying pan and maybe an electric drill. I’ll probably spend about €400 on presents. The thing I hate is that nobody goes on the 12 days of Christmas any more. After Christmas Day, it’s over. Whereas actually, it only starts on Christmas Day.
Aidan O’Hare
I always spend today with the family and we open our presents about 8pm. We are all very impatient so we get it over and done with. I’m spending less on presents this year than last year, not as many electrical goods and that type of stuff.
I love the vibe of Christmas Eve – everyone has a bit of cheeriness about themselves. On the downside, it’s packed in town, and the older I get, the more time I spend at home. One family tradition we have is that my brother dresses up as Santa and goes around to the local neighbours. They have no idea who he is, and he brings them a lump of coal and tinfoil.
Michael O’Regan
I could be in my brother’s house or my own house. My family make that decision, not me. I usually finish early on Christmas Eve. The buses go off the streets at nine o’clock so I’ll be gone home at seven o’clock. I have all the presents taken care of already. With the downturn, you can see that people are not shopping as much. I sell papers and with the shopping, people have no time for buying them. They’re too busy.
Laura Field
I’ll be working Christmas Eve in the Cope Foundation, as a care assistant for people with intellectual disabilities. It’s my third or fourth Christmas working. We get the clients up and take them out for a few hours and bring them back and have their dinner. I work a 12-hour shift. I don’t mind it at all. I spent a fortune on presents. Yesterday I spent €800 and I’m not finished yet.
Sheila Lee
I get all the food ready today for tomorrow. I go into town at lunchtime for an hour, just for the excitement and the last-minute bits and pieces. Then I go home and prepare all the food. In the evening, I parcel the presents for my grandchildren and put them under the tree, because they come up Christmas Day morning. Years ago, as children, we always came into town on Christmas Eve into a shop called Robert Days. They used to have a great Santa Claus and you’d get a big brown parcel and that was all we got because we had little. I cut back on presents this year, and spent about €700. You’d be buying too much some years, especially for the grandchildren. I think the magic and atmosphere is still there.
Ann Williamson
All preparations for Christmas Day take place today. One of us might run into town for the last collections. Christmas Eve night I never go out, I always prepare the turkey. Not all the kids will come home – they used to one time, but not now. I’m cutting back this year on presents. I’m far more conscious and trying to get something more useful for people. Sometimes, if the shops are too busy, it can be very annoying. But now we’ve learned not to bring the car into town. When we were children, women did most of the work on Christmas Eve and that hasn’t changed much.
Kathleen (Ka) Hyde
I’ll come out here to my stall on the Coal Quay in Cork about 8.30am. I’m out here working since I was very little – my grandmother and great grandmother all sold here. I’m actually wearing my great grandmother’s shawl. I finish about two or three now on Christmas Eve. Years ago we wouldn’t finish until 9pm and would be here standing in the snow.
Christmas Eve was a big day back then, as the men didn’t get paid until the night before so they wouldn’t get their wages until then. The women would buy all the presents on Christmas Eve. This year, I’ll do my best for presents for people. In the afternoon on Christmas Eve all I do is go home and put my feet up. The Christmas starts for me then.
Pat O’Sullivan
I finish work at six o’clock then I’ll go home and relax and watch a bit of television. That’s it really. We always stay in as a family. None of the presents are handed out until tomorrow morning. I might have a glass of wine but that’s it really. I have spent a lot this year, maybe €1,500-2,000, which is less than last year. I’m hoping for nothing other than a quiet Christmas.
Anna Gowan and daughter Ava (4)
We’ll be home baking cookies and getting ready for Christmas dinner. This will be my third Christmas in Ireland. We’ll be working in our coffee shop until 4.30pm and then go home. I like working.
It’s nice to come in and say “happy Christmas” to all our customers. I think Irish people really get into Christmas, more so than in Seattle, where I’m from, so I have grown to appreciate that. I don’t go overboard in terms of presents.
