Wren Day
St. Stephen's Day
Ireland’s rich holiday traditions stretch throughout the whole year, and Saint Stephen’s Day (Lá Fhéile Stiofáin in Irish), falling on December 26, is the last one. It is based on the legend of the Christian proto-martyr, but there is also another important interpretation of the holiday. It is sometimes called the Wren Day, Day of the Wren, Hunt the Wren Day, or Lá an Dreoilín in Irish. This tradition, as the name suggests, derives from the myth of the treacherous wren that had to be punished – killed, preferably by ritual stoning, similarly to how Saint Stephen died. Hence, apart from attending church masses honoring the saint, some Irish villagers still uphold Wren Day celebrations, such as Wren Boys and Mummers parading with the bird stuck on a colorful pole, dancing and gathering money for the great St. Stephen fest. Nowadays, obviously, they use only models of the bird, not its carcass.
The significance of the wren dates back to the Celtic beliefs; it was a symbol of the old year, to which one would bid farewell during the Samhain festival (Celtic New Year). The bird took part in druidic rituals, and, since it sometimes sings even in the cold season, it was called the “king of winter”. Later, the Christian mythology added its own explanation: the wren became the king of birds, because it tricked other birds, trying to earn respect from God. Another legend of the disloyal wren comes from the 8th century, when the bird supposedly betrayed the Irish army who tried to invade the Vikings. The wren ate bread crumbs from a drum and thus made a sound, which warned the Norse soldiers. The question is, how does the legend of a bird correspond to Saint Stephen? The patron’s hiding place was allegedly revealed to his killers by a wren. Around the year 33 AD, the saint was stoned, which is why the tradition of killing the bird includes hunting it with stones. Every year on Christmas Day or early on Saint Stephen’s Day, teenage boys would search for wrens and kill them; later, the birds would be tied to wooden poles and presented to every house in the village in order to gather money for a feast. In the 20th century, the hunting stopped and real birds were replaced with their lifelike models. Although the tradition of Saint Stephen’s and Wren Day is at least millennium-old, the holiday was established in the Bank Holidays Act 1871.
Saint Stephen’s Day is the perfect occasion to commemorate the patron’s life, and that is precisely what the Catholic church does in Ireland. This holiday, however, like so many others in the country, is syncretistic – merged with pagan beliefs. On December 26, many villages celebrate Wren Day as it used to be, with Wren Boy dancers and Mummer costumes, and, most importantly, the figure of the treacherous bird at the heart of the festivity. Children visit one house after another, performing skits and songs and reciting poems, in an attempt to earn some money for their school or charity. The tradition has been particularly preserved in parts of Co Limerick and Galway and in Dingle peninsula’s Co Kerry. Wren Day parades are the new kind of celebration in Ireland, featuring men wearing straw costumes. The most famous one is held in Dingle.
In larger cities, the holiday is the time to rest after Christmas feasts, since most institutions and businesses in Ireland have a day free from work. Although Saint Stephen’s Day is a public holiday, many shops and pubs still choose to be open, but at shorter hours. The employees of such private businesses have to be granted an additional day off or higher salary, though. Saint Stephen’s Day is a classic example of Irish folklore and Catholic faith collaborating; the holiday is not only a time to rest, but also a moment for communal celebration.