• Irish Christmas looks toward the birth of Jesus for inspiration.nativity image by JoLin from Fotolia.com
  
  "Nollaig Shona Duit," pronounced null-ig hun-a dit, means Happy Christmas in Gaelic. A traditional Irish Christmas is bedecked with familiar religious symbols, ancient cultural images and Irish hospitality. Christmas day sets the stage for 11 more days of Christmas revelry. The celebration and decorations share a focal point--the Nativity. Traditional Irish decorations welcome the Christ child with light, greenery and an invitation against the cold and dark.
  
  

Candles

• Candlelight is an important Irish symbol.christmas candles in cast iron holder image by Sorbotrol from Fotolia.com
  
  Irish families often keep candles in the windows of their homes. This traditional Irish Christmas decoration is rooted in antiquity. Candles in the window welcome Mary and Joseph, who had no place to give birth to Jesus. According to the website Fantasy Ireland, candles in the window recall a dark time of religious persecution in Ireland. When Irish Catholics were banned from practicing their faith, they would light candles in the windows of their homes to signal a home where priests could safely stop and perform Christmas Mass. According to Irish tradition, when Christmas Eve dinner is over, a family member lights the large candle after it is placed in the window.
  
  

Holly

• Holly has roots back to the Druids and beyond.holly image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
  
  Most people who celebrate Christmas recognize holly as a ubiquitous Christmas decoration. Holly makes it possible for poor families to enjoy Christmas decorations by its prevalence in the Irish landscape. Yet holly actually serves as an ancient Celtic and Druidic symbol. According to Fantasy Ireland, long before Christianity found its way into Ireland, Celtic people decorated their homes with holly during Winter Solstice. Druids believed holly to have mystical power.
  
  

The Kitchen Table

• Irish Christmas tables express hospitality to the Holy Family.Christmas table with candle and wine image by jeanniner9 from Fotolia.com
  
  Like many cultures, Irish culture values hearth, home and table. It is no surprise that the kitchen table plays a role in Irish Christmas decorations. IrelandInformation.com recounts a centuries-old Irish tradition. Irish families leave a loaf of bread laden with caraway seeds and raisins, milk and a lighted candle on the kitchen table. The family leaves its door unlocked. In this humble and gracious way, Irish families extend hospitality to the traveling Holy Family and to any travelers with a need to stop for food and warmth.