Happy St Stephen’s Day…or Boxing Day (if you must).
I hope you’re all feeling rested after yesterday’s celebrations and food!
Back home (in Ireland), the 26th was historically celebrated as The Day of the Wren – Lá an Dreoilín. It is believed that this tradition emerged out of older Pagan or Druidic rituals, co-opted into Christian celebrations.
In the olden days; the Wrenboys/Strawboys/Mummers (originally male only, though later young women were allowed to join) would capture an actual wren and mounted it (ALIVE) onto a staff pole decorated with ribbons. This was later changed and a fake bird was hidden, rather than hunted. They would then travel throughout the local town seeking donations. The money raised would be used to throw a huge party that very evening – one the whole town would attend. Any money left over would be passed onto the local schools.
The Clancy Boys popularised the song below:
The Wren Song
- The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
- St. Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze,
- Although he was little his honour was great,
- Jump up me lads and give us a treat.
- As I was going to Killenaule,
- I met a wren upon the wall.
- Up with me wattle and knocked him down,
- And brought him in to Carrick Town.
- Drooolin, Droolin, where’s your nest?
- Tis in the bush that I love best
- In the tree, the holly tree,
- Where all the boys do follow me.
- Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
- And give us a penny to bury the wren.
- I followed the wren three miles or more,
- Three miles or more three miles or more.
- I followed the wren three miles or more,
- At six o’clock in the morning.
- I have a little box under me arm,
- Under me arm under me arm.
- I have a little box under me arm,
- A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.
- Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,
- a very good woman, a very good woman,
- Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,
- She give us a penny to bury the wren.
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