Collection: Nollaig

Many of the Pagan Irish Festivals fell around the same time as Christian Festivals. Major Sacred and Royal sites of Pagan Ireland had celebrations around the Winter and Summer Solstices. New Grange and many other monuments were built to align with the rising and setting sun at the Winter Solstice, 21 December. The Winter Solstice was celebrated as it marked the end of a long dark winter and the start of longer warmer days. It is no coincidence that Christmas is celebrated at a similar time.  Celebrations help us to  focus on getting through darker times and to look forward to renewal and the ongoing cycle of life.