Ireland in
Dingle,
County Kerry, Ireland. In the
Republic of Ireland, Saint Stephen's Day () is one of ten official public holidays. Its name is sometimes shortened to "Stephen's Day" (), particularly in informal contexts. Saint Stephen's Day is also called
Wren Day () in parts of
Ireland. Traditionally, men and boys hunted a
wren and placed it on top of a staff decorated with holly, ivy and ribbons. This was paraded around the neighbourhood by a group of 'Wrenboys'—typically dressed in straw masks and costumes—who sang songs and played music in exchange for donations. Today, the wren is no longer hunted, but Wren Day has survived or been revived in a few towns, where groups of Wrenboys hold small parades and carry around a
stuffed or fake wren. It is traditional for some towns in Ireland to hold a
fox hunt on St. Stephen's Day, such as
Kells in
County Meath. A
Mummer's Festival is held at this time every year in the village of
New Inn, County Galway, and in
Dingle in
County Kerry. Mumming is also a big tradition in
County Fermanagh. Saint Stephen's Day is a popular day for visiting family members and going to the theatre to see a
pantomime. In most of
Ulster in the north of Ireland, the day is usually known as
Boxing Day, especially in
Northern Ireland and
County Donegal.
Isle of Man Traditionally, a wren was hunted on the
Isle of Man every Saint Stephen's Day, like in Ireland. The wren's body would be hung inside a frame of holly or ivy wreaths, called the 'Wren Bush', or displayed in a small decorated wooden box with windows, called the 'Wren House'. These Wren Bushes or Wren Houses were held aloft on poles and taken around the neighbourhood by 'Wrenboys', some of whom were decked in greenery. Singing "
Hunt the Wren" () and beating drums, they went from house to house asking for coins. At the end of the day, a funeral was held for the wren. Today, people sing and dance around a decorated Wren Bush or Wren Pole in which a stuffed or fake wren is placed.
Wales Saint Stephen's Day in
Wales is known as '''', celebrated every year on 26 December. One ancient
Welsh custom, discontinued in the 19th century, included bleeding of livestock and "holming" by beating with
holly branches of late risers and female servants. The ceremony reputedly brought good luck.
Catalonia, Balearic Islands (Spain) Saint Stephen's Day ('
) on 26 December is a holiday in Catalonia. It is traditionally celebrated with a festive meal that includes '. The pasta tubes are stuffed with ground meat that may include the leftovers of the previous day's '
, turkey, or '. In
Catalan-speaking territories the day is also known as the Second Christmas Day or the
Festa Mitjana. In the
Valencia area a tradition is to eat with the mother's side of the family on 25 December, and on the 26th with the father's side. Historically, the Catalan holiday on the day after Christmas may be related to the practical need for time to return home after a Christmas Day gathering and may date back to the days of the
Carolingian Empire.
Italy Christmas in Italy is one of the
country's major holidays and begins on 8 December, with the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the day on which traditionally the
Christmas tree is mounted and ends on 6 January, of the following year with the
Epiphany. In Italy, Saint Stephen's Day became a public holiday in 1947, where previously it was a normal working day; the Catholic Church also celebrates it as a religious holiday, even if not as a
precept, as it is in Germany and other German-speaking countries. The reason for the public holiday in Italy, not required by the Catholic Church despite the fame of the saint, is to be found in the intention of prolonging the Christmas holiday, creating two consecutive public holidays, which also happens in the case of
Easter Monday, a non-religious holiday, but which only wants to lengthen Easter. Before 1947 the two days were working days, with banks and offices open.
Alsace and Moselle Saint Stephen's Day ('''') is marked as a public holiday as part of its shared culture across the
Rhine River with Germany.
Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland '''' is a public holiday in mainly
Catholic Austria. In the
Archdiocese of Vienna, the day of
patron saint Saint Stephen is even celebrated on the feast of the
Holy Family. Similar to the adjacent regions of
Bavaria, numerous ancient customs still continued to this day, such as ceremonial horseback rides and blessing of horses, or the "stoning" drinking rite celebrated by young men after attending Mass. The 26 December is – as Second Day of Christmas (, , , ) – a public holiday in Poland, Germany, The Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Hungary, Székely Transylvania, Csángó land On this day, the men of the villages went to the girls' houses for a Stephen's Day
regélés (a custom that also appears in different versions at various times of the year). They wore
sheepskin furs and used a
bagpipe and a chained stick to make music. The ritual was also a fertility charm, a custom of ancient pagan origin. They told their good wishes, and sang songs to match the young, while the other boys asked for donations from the hosts and girls gave
bokréta.
Republika Srpska Saint Stephen is also the
patron saint of
Republika Srpska, one of
two entities of
Bosnia and Herzegovina. St. Stephen's Day, 9 January, is celebrated as the Day of the Republika Srpska or
Dan Republike, though mainly as an anniversary of the 1992 events rather than as a religious feast.
Finland The best-known tradition linked to the Stephen's Day () is "the ride of Stephen's Day" which refers to a
sleigh ride with horses. These merry rides along village streets were seen in contrast to the silent and pious mood of the preceding Christmas days. Another old tradition was parades with singers and people dressed in Christmas suits. At some areas these parades were related to checking forthcoming brides. Stephen's Day used to be a popular day for weddings as well. These days a related tradition is dances of Stephen's Day which are held in several restaurants and dance halls.
Bulgaria In
Bulgaria, the Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Stephen's Day, also called Stefanovden (), on the third day after Christmas - 27 December. On this day, the ones who have a nameday are given gifts. ==See also==