Wren’s day
“The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
Saint Stephen’s Day, was caught in the furze
Although he is little, his honour is great Jump up me lads and give him a treat Up with the kettle and down with the pan And give us a penny to bury the wren”
~
In the town of Dingle in the south-west of Ireland, locals often say that there are two seasons in the year: six months before the Wren and six months after the Wren (pronounced “wran”). It is not uncommon to hear “I’ll see you the Wren’s Day” as a greeting even more than “happy Christmas” during Christmas week itself.
As someone who grew up in the town, it is fair to say that Dingle people are healthily obsessed with it and that the Wren’s Day is the highlight of the calendar for most townspeople.
While Dingle has quite a unique relationship with the wren tradition, it is not the only community where it survives and thrives and from Carrigkerry to Enniskerry, Fermanagh to Fingal and the Isle of Man to St John’s Newfoundland, the tradition is performed with gusto in communities today that are hugely committed to this ancient custom.
The wren tradition or “hunting the wren” is an old midwinter custom that was once commonplace throughout Ireland, the UK and diaspora communities, but it died out in most areas throughout the 20th century.
The exact origins are unknown, but it was usually performed in rural areas with masked groups calling from house to house with a wren bird that they had captured. They would ask for money to bury the bird and perform some music and song in exchange.
Groups were usually invited into the home and given refreshments and many will be familiar with the rhyme or song that is associated with the visiting groups:
theconversation.com/wrens-day-an-old-irish-tradition-that...
~
ai/gimp/pixlr
Wren’s day
“The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
Saint Stephen’s Day, was caught in the furze
Although he is little, his honour is great Jump up me lads and give him a treat Up with the kettle and down with the pan And give us a penny to bury the wren”
~
In the town of Dingle in the south-west of Ireland, locals often say that there are two seasons in the year: six months before the Wren and six months after the Wren (pronounced “wran”). It is not uncommon to hear “I’ll see you the Wren’s Day” as a greeting even more than “happy Christmas” during Christmas week itself.
As someone who grew up in the town, it is fair to say that Dingle people are healthily obsessed with it and that the Wren’s Day is the highlight of the calendar for most townspeople.
While Dingle has quite a unique relationship with the wren tradition, it is not the only community where it survives and thrives and from Carrigkerry to Enniskerry, Fermanagh to Fingal and the Isle of Man to St John’s Newfoundland, the tradition is performed with gusto in communities today that are hugely committed to this ancient custom.
The wren tradition or “hunting the wren” is an old midwinter custom that was once commonplace throughout Ireland, the UK and diaspora communities, but it died out in most areas throughout the 20th century.
The exact origins are unknown, but it was usually performed in rural areas with masked groups calling from house to house with a wren bird that they had captured. They would ask for money to bury the bird and perform some music and song in exchange.
Groups were usually invited into the home and given refreshments and many will be familiar with the rhyme or song that is associated with the visiting groups:
theconversation.com/wrens-day-an-old-irish-tradition-that...
~
ai/gimp/pixlr