Christmas Eve Reflection: Poetry, Music, and Ireland

Christmas Eve: a time of anticipation, of reflection, a time when the hurry to do last minute needed things quiets into hush.

That’s true whether the Christmas story is part of your faith, or not.

Whether the Christmas story is part of your story of faith or not it is also a holiday of travelers, both people today making long and short journeys, and in another time shepherds coming down from the hills, wise men coming from from far away, and a husband and wife seeking shelter on a night in Bethlehem.

Máire Mhac an tSaoi was an Irish poet, diplomat, and scholar who in her nearly one hundred years of life often broke new ground both for those writing in Irish, and earlier in her career, for women writers in Ireland. One of her best loved poems is Oiche Nollag, Christmas Eve, She read it in Irish…

to go along with the images in this video. The words in English are part of the visuals.

You may also find the words to Máire Mhac an tSaoi’s poem Christmas Eve in English here.

To go along with your Christmas Eve thoughts you might also like to see this story about the history of Christmas wreaths and another story about the tradition of having a candle in the window -- there is Irish connection and a bit of music to go along with those, too.

A bit more winter seasonal music for you to enjoy

Also, do you know where in Ireland Santa first sets his foot on Christmas eve?

Thank you for reading.