At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year.

This is an old saying which still applies to festivities today in the Isle of Man.

This week Year of Our Island has enlisted the help of Dr Chloe Woolley from Culture Vannin to take a look back at some quintessentially Manx Christmas traditions.

In past-times, the Christmas period was known as ’Yn Kegeesh Ommidjagh’; Manx Gaelic for ’The Foolish Fortnight’.

Beginning on Black Thomas’ Eve (now December 21) and ending on the old Christmas Day or Shenn Laa Nollick or the Twelfth Night, which falls on January 6), Kegeesh Ommidjagh marked a well-earned rest from the usual hard and relentless routine.

Spinning wheels and fishing nets were put away and only absolute necessities such as milking and feeding the animals were carried out.

Much like today, the foolish fortnight was a time for socialising, eating, music and dancing as well as practicing some curious customs.

Traditional food on the menu for Christmas included cold cuts of meat, roast goose, fruity bunloaf and plum pudding cooked at the ’chiollagh’, or the fireplace, and in some areas of the island, a mashed potato dish called ’tittlewhack’.

Homes were decorated with ’hibbin as hollin’ (holly and ivy) and there are historical accounts of the ’kissing bush’, a hoop of holly ornamented with apples and oranges, mistletoe, paper streamers and ribbons.

The traditional Christmas Eve service was followed by the ’Oie’ll Verrey’ where male singers performed very long Manx Gaelic carvals, while the women pelted them with parched peas!

Then it was off to the ale-house for a glass of spiced ale called ’Jough y Nollick’, before parting company with the traditional song ’Arrane Oie Vie’.

Bright and early the next day, hired fiddle players would then wake everyone up on Christmas morning.

Oie’ll Verrey events are still part of the cultural calendar these days, particularly in Kirk Michael, albeit these days they take place without pea-shooters!

To find out more about Manx festive traditions, go online to culturevannin.im or take a trip to St John’s to visit Culture Vannin in person.

Our island’s cultural centre is located on Main Road St John’s and is open weekdays from 9.30 am to 4pm. For more information about what Year of Our Island has planned for the rest of 2018 and beyond go online to ourisland.im, email [email protected] or call 687007.

by the Year of Our Island Project Team

www. ourisland.im