Boxing Day, Anyone?

We used to when we lived in the UK. The cleaner (after my back went) and the postman (we've only had the 2 so knew them by name and if we met them elsewhere we'd still get given our post) where the 2 main people we'd get gifts for. We knew what they liked and that our last postie used the money he'd get given to pay for his annual holiday, so money was the preference there but the cleaner preferred food items or alcohol to help cover the Christmas period.

However, in this household, because of our time deep in South West Ireland at Christmas, we know the day as 'St Stephen's' day, not Boxing Day.

In Ireland, in the area we stayed, (I'll emphasise this bit because the tradition is actually known as Wren Day elsewhere), the tradition was that on the 26th, you'd climb a certain mountain, Carrauntoohil. It is Ireland's highest mountain and in a stunning range; stunningly beautiful and stunningly dangerous in winter. Mountain rescue would be out all the way around the horseshoe climb. The top of the mountain had a large metal cross in it, specifically for the pilgrims and on the St Stephen's Day there could be 500-600 people climbing it. It is a day to avoid climbing it in our experience. Too many inexperienced hikers out in weather they were unprepared for and out in underfoot conditions they were ill equipped to deal with. The last year we were there there were several deaths, falls from icy conditions or from losing their way in the low cloud (any fall was generally fatal because of the limited access onto the horseshoe. It is a narrow ledge to negotiate at the best of times, only a few feet wide with nothing to hold onto at all. Add icy underfoot conditions and inexperienced, tipsy hikers to the combination... :( )
 
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