by Nora, age 8 from Asheville, North Carolina, writes to Daidi na Nollag about Irish Christmas traditions and the Irish language.
A Letter to Daidi na Nollag from Nora in Asheville, North Carolina
Dear Daidi na Nollag, I am Nora, I am eight years old, and I live in Asheville, North Carolina. My great grandmother came from County Cork, and she always says your name instead of Santa’s, so now I have questions for you:
- Are you the same person as the UK’s Father Christmas?
- Do Irish children leave out mince pies and a bottle of Guinness for you?
- Do you bring presents for all children, or only for the good ones?
- Do you come down the chimney like my Santa?
- Do you come on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning in Ireland?
- Do you have elves or little helpers to make the presents?
- Do you have reindeer, or do you travel by another way?
- Do you look like the American Santa Claus, or do you wear something different?
- Do you speak Irish, English, or both?
- Your name means Daddy of Christmas in Irish, is that like Father Christmas?
- Geography: What sea lies between Ireland and Great Britain?
- Social Studies: Besides English, what other official language is spoken in Ireland?
Slan, Nora
Daidi na Nollag Writes Back
Are you the same person as the UK’s Father Christmas?
We are very close cousins, Nora. Ireland and Britain share a lot of Christmas history, though I like to think I have my own gentle Irish charm.
Do Irish children leave out mince pies and a bottle of Guinness for you?
Mince pies are very common, yes, and I will confess a small glass of stout has been left out for me more than once. I always finish it politely.
Do you bring presents for all children, or only for the good ones?
I try to bring a little something for every child, though the biggest surprises are usually saved for the ones who have been especially kind to their brothers, sisters, and neighbors.
Do you come down the chimney like my Santa?
Chimney, when the cottage has one, which in the Irish countryside is nearly always. City flats sometimes require a bit more creativity.
Do you come on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning in Ireland?
Christmas Eve night, same as your Santa, while the candle traditionally left burning in the window lights my way to the door.
Do you have elves or little helpers to make the presents?
A small crew of helpers, yes, though in Ireland we call them by other old names from folklore rather than elves exactly.
Do you have reindeer, or do you travel by another way?
Reindeer for the long trip, though I do enjoy the occasional shortcut over the Cliffs of Moher, weather permitting.
Do you look like the American Santa Claus, or do you wear something different?
Quite similar these days, red coat and white beard, though older Irish images sometimes show me in a simple hooded cloak, closer to a traveling storyteller than a department store Santa.
Do you speak Irish, English, or both?
Both, happily. I love greeting children with a warm Nollaig shona, which means Happy Christmas in Irish, right alongside plain old English.
Your name means Daddy of Christmas in Irish, is that like Father Christmas?
Exactly right, Nora. Daidi means Daddy, and Nollag means Christmas, so my name is simply the Irish way of saying Father Christmas.
Geography: What sea lies between Ireland and Great Britain?
The Irish Sea sits right between us, and on a clear winter night with a fast sleigh, it barely slows me down at all.
Social Studies: Besides English, what other official language is spoken in Ireland?
Irish, also called Gaeilge, is Ireland’s first official language, taught in schools right alongside English. It is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, and I am quite proud to speak it.
