Christmas in Ireland with Deirdre

We know you’re missing her as much as we are, so we caught up with your favorite Irish Greystone staffer, and asked her all the questions you’ve been wanting to know about celebrating the holidays across the pond! So scroll on through to learn all about the foods, decorations, and traditions she loves about this time of year in Ireland.

What foods do you wait all year to eat at Christmas?

In Ireland, we don’t have Thanksgiving so Christmas is our Turkey dinner of the year. We also have ham, brussels sprouts, and of course potatoes! For dessert we have a Christmas fruit cake, mince pies and Christmas pudding with a ton of whipped cream and ice cream. We also eat a lot of cheese and onion chip sandwiches over the festive period. Advent calendars are also a huge thing in Ireland, this year I had Reese’s peanut butter cup Advent calendar- the dream!

What’s on your list this year?

A new phone and a Covid-19 vaccine. I also enjoy a good Nerf gun.

When and how do you decorate for Christmas?

In Ireland we have an annual TV show called the Late Late Toy Show which takes place on the last Friday in November. It’s basically a toy review show and it is a HUGE deal in Ireland with the whole country tuning in to watch it and it acts as the unofficial start to the Christmas period. Normally I decorate my classroom for the Monday after the Late Late Toy Show. However, at home it is a different story and to be completely honest, there are some decorations I leave up all year!

What’s the weather usually like there on Christmas day?

Freezing! Lots of frost and ice. Sadly, a snowy Christmas rarely happens, I think I’ve experienced one when I was 8 or 9.

What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever given/received?

Cotton candy maker from my Grandmother when I was 10. It was absolutely glorious until my brother sat on it and broke it- I’m still not over it.

Favorite Christmas song/movie?

My favourite Christmas song is Sleigh Ride by the Ronettes and my favourite Christmas movie is The Santa Clause, however, I do believe the Christmas Prince Series on Netflix is a work of genius, particularly ‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding’

Does Ireland do Elf on the Shelf in a specific way?

The elves in Ireland seem to be mischief makers, my classroom elf causes chaos everyday. Today she has taken all of my whiteboard markers and placed them on the ceiling beam. She has also poured water all over the classroom desks and dangles fake spiders in front of the children and I trying to frighten us.

Anything you’d like to tell campers right now?

This year has been a wild ride and I think it has made us more aware of what truly matters in life and it has shown that even though we couldn’t be together last summer, the camp community is so strong! I hope everybody has a fabulous Christmas and I can’t wait to see everybody for summer 2021!