Tomorrow, 6 January is Nollaig na mBan (sometimes also known as ‘Old Christmas’).
On this day it was the tradition in old Tyrone for the women to get together and enjoy their own Christmas, while the men stayed at home and handled all the chores. It was also common for children to help their mothers and grandmothers with household work and maybe provide a bit of extra help (or spoiling!).
A year ago, we posted this on our Facebook page:
“Even before lockdowns and so on, the lack of appropriate facilities always stymied us doing something fitting for Nollaig na mBan in Kildress.
BUT, this time next year, us all being well and virus-free, we’ll put on a fit-and-proper Kildress ‘Nollaig na mBan’ in our new Hub building … presented by the men of Gaelic Kildress at their handsome, courteous, helpful, elegant, supportive, neat, attentive, gallant, serving, classy, tasteful, refined, pleasing-to-the-eye and deferential best.
Put it in your diaries: Thursday 6 January 2022, Gortacladdy.”
Twelve months on, the virus has again put an end to our great intentions. It’s rampant at the minute, so we’re holding fire on our plans for a Nollaig na mBan event tomorrow night at Gortacladdy.
But, given the times that are in it, and subject to how COVID is behaving, we’re looking at a re-scheduling in a month’s time.
So, all being well, maybe we’ll manage something on Sunday 6 February 2022.
