Nollaig na mBan

Yesterday was Nollaig na mBan or Little Christmas.Its Christmas for the Orthodox people who follow the Gregorian calender, but in Ireland, its women's Christmas, when women ditched their traditional roles for the day and went out to enjoy themselves.The men would be left to do the housework and mind the family, while the women would go to the local pub and sit in the men's area, which was regarded as a shocking thing for a woman to do, but on Little Christmas a blind eye was turned.Of course, times have changed and women meet up for a leisurely lunch- which my mother, sister and I did.