December 26, the day after Christmas, is St. Stephen’s Day (Lá Fhéile Stiofáin), Wren Day (Lá an Dreoilín), or Boxing Day. St. Stephen’s Day is a traditional day of charity associated with the Christian martyr, but Wren Day, an Irish tradition, is much older. There isn’t a ton of history here related to food, but there is still a lot to get into.
Wren Day
Nothing started on time, there was no running order and participants were kept waiting for hours on end. This raggedness, so essential a part of the tradition of “craic”, seemed to suit the organisers who spent the day telling each other how much authentic, Irish-style, traditional fun they were having.”
Sunday Tribune, 27 Dec 1992
Young boys and men, lucht an dreolín, almost always bachelors, were the main celebrants of this day, which was not a work day. They would first hunt the wren, sometimes a few weeks or days before, but usually on Christmas Day, which was no easy task. The wren would then be tied, dead or alive, to a top of a pole or spherical holly, laurel, or furze bush (“wren bush”) decorated with ribbons and colored paper, usually red and white, or placed in a box or jar. The wren boys would often wear masks (some call them aghaidh fidils, which Dineen’s Dictionary says is “a mask worn on the face; the word is often used by the English-speaking Irish, and is pronounced high fiddle or eye fiddle”), or use burnt cork or soot to blacken their faces and dress in straw (súgán), animal skins, old clothes, or women’s garments.
They would carry the bird from house to house (sometimes by vehicle in more contemporary times) apart from those that had recently known death or disease, collecting money and treats – after inspection of the bird, of course. The boys would be given a few pence or a piece of pudding, and whoever held the pole would divide the earnings among the members of the party at the end of the day, or put it toward a football or celebration (‘wren dance’ or ‘wren’s wake’) where alcohol, breads and cakes were consumed by both men and women. At each house, they would sing the “wren boy’s song,” sometimes accompanied by a bodhrán, fiddle or melodeon.
Here are a few versions:
1. The wran, the wran, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen’s day was caught in the furze
His body is little but his family is great
So rise up landlady and give us a trate
And if your trate be of the best
Your soul in heaven can find its rest
And if your trate be of the small
It won’t plaze the boys at all.
A glass of whiskey and a bottle of beer
Merry Christmas and a glad New Year
So up with the kettle and down with the pan
And give us a penny to bury the wran.
2. The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
It was on Saint Stephens’s day, she was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle, and down with the pan,
Give me some money to bury the wren
Although she is small her family is great
Rise up land lady and give us a treat
And if your treat be of the best
I hope its in heaven your soul will rest
If your treat be of the small
It would not agree with the wren boys at all
We followed this wren ten miles or more
Through hedges and ditches and heaps of snow,
We up with our wattles and gave him a fall
And brought him here to show you all
3. The wran, the wran, the king of all birds,
[On] St Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze;
Although he is little his family is great;
Stand up old lady and give us a trate,
We’re hunting the wren all day
Through muddy water and yellow clay,
From bush to bush and from tree to tree
And at Shoneburee he broke his knee.
So up with the kettle and down with the pan
And give me a penny or two-pence to bury the wran.
Burying the wren was considered good luck in some areas, but not in others. Woe to those who refused to pay the wren boys in those parts – the wren would be buried opposite the offender’s door, over which no good luck would enter for a year. Or worse:
“Perhaps since the death of the first wren for the hearse on St. Stephen’s day, never were such bloody scenes exhibited as on Saturday. Numbers of persons, who had evidently been sorely maltreated, came before the magistrates on that day to seek justice against the “ran boys,” who had laid, or attempted to lay them under contribution, and, on their refusal “to give something to the ran,” had subjected them to no slight punishment….One complainant stated that as he was coming to town he met several parties of the wren boys, who asked him for money; he told them that he had no change; you must get change, said they; bedad I can’t, says he, but maybe when I’m coming back I might have some; that won’t do said they; and with that a fellow, who had his face blackened, up with a pole and a bladder on the end of it, and strikes him in the face; he was knocked over again the wall and cried out to his uncle, that he was murdered; that’s too bad, said his uncle, who got what he best can tell. This complainant would not positively swear that any of the persons in the dock struck him, but he was certain that some of those in it were there.” – Mayo Constitution, 29 Dec 1840
“On St. Stephens’ day the inhabitants of Clonakilty were disturbed by a mob of Wren boys and others, headed by a Magistrate of the county, who proceeded from house to house, calling on the owners to enrol themselves as Repealers, and demanding one shilling from each person, who, from terror or other cause, was induced to join. Numbers of the Wren boys were charged at the Castlebar Session, last week, for violently assaulting such persons as refused to contribute to their satisfaction.” – Waterford Mail, 6 Jan 1841
Historically, there are many accounts of these kinds of crimes being committed on December 26, which today mostly seems like rowdy, innocent fun. However, not everyone enjoyed the antics of Wren Day, especially fans of Father Mathew and animal advocates:
Ultimately, the bird would be buried with respect at the end of the day, including a coffin and keening. Today, no wrens are harmed, although fake ones, or corks with feathers, are sometimes used, and it’s more about the marketing. Instead of straw, boys, and girls, wear pajamas and the money is donated to charity. However, a fun parade is held in Dingle that I keep missing.
FOLKLORE
“Of all European countries, Ireland is where traditions about the wren have been best preserved, both in living tradition and in archival form.”
Sylvie Muller
Wrens are very small but have been held in high esteem through the ages. There is a story where the eagle declares himself king of the birds in a contest to see who could fly the highest, with the little wren popping out of his feathers and flying higher, besting the mighty raptor. The tradition of hunting a small bird, or a wren, is a long one. Those looking at pre-Christian Ireland point out the etymology of dreolín, the “druid’s bird.” Druids would supposedly trap the birds and place the sacrifice on a pole of holly, which was considered sacred, then parade the offering in a ritual meant to banish the darkness of winter, and ensure “fertility and prosperity for the community for the coming year.” The importance of the wren in connection with this time may come from the symbolism of the robin, representing the new year, killing the wren, representing the old year. There is also the legend of a wren giving up St. Stephen’s hiding place in a bush with its chattering, leading to his death by stoning. Another tale holds that Irish soldiers laying siege to an enemy camp (the English, Cromwell’s troops, Danes, Vikings, etc depending on the source) in the dead of night were betrayed by a wren eating crumbs off a drum, waking them up and sounding the alarm. The persecution of the wren is also chalked up to Catholic intolerance of pagan beliefs.
There is also an oral tradition that skipping meat will mean a year without sickness: “Any one abstaining from eating meat on this day, in honor of our first martyr, will not catch any contagious disease during the year.” This is the one piece of food folklore that was consistent and unique to St. Stephen’s Day, besides the use of leftovers from Christmas supper, or biscuits and candy bought with the wren money. It seems to have no traceable origin, or explanation that can be definitively linked to any aspect of the day, and had already fallen out of favor over a hundred years ago, but I’ll take it.
Ingredients
TURKEY & HAM + VEG OPTIONS
In keeping with the meatless tradition, I’ve made a version with an alternative to leftover roast turkey and glazed ham – you can do either. Vegan turkey and ham is usually sold in deli slices, although vegan bacon is easier to find, so I’m using recipes for both from one of my favorite blogs, Nora Cooks. Instead of tofu or ready-made seitan, which can also be used as a substitute, she opts for canned chickpeas as the base. An ingredient essential to this is vital wheat gluten – not your average pantry staple. Wheat flour is hydrated and then processed, removing everything except the gluten, resulting in a flour-like powder that is essentially all gluten. It’s used in baking to promote structure and elasticity, adding extra chewiness to breads, and for texture in faux meats. Unfortunately there is no replacement for it in Nora’s recipes, but it’s a great way to get familiar with the product and see its potential uses for meat alternatives and other projects! You can get it on Amazon, or at some grocery stores. Another is nutritional yeast (nooch, Saccharomyces cerevisiae), “nature’s Cheeto dust,” which will be very familiar to those who’ve tried a vegan diet. It tastes like parmesan cheese, and is great to have on hand. You can find it almost anywhere these days. If you try either “meat” recipes, you don’t have to make them completely vegan unless you want to – regular butter or broth can be used.
If you have leftovers from a traditional holiday dinner, disregard the above, you’re all set!
To make this dish completely vegan, you can used plant-based butter and non-dairy milk instead of cream.
ROUX
A roux is a thickening agent and a base for soups and sauces. I got out my very big Larousse Gastronomique for this definition: “mixture of butter or other fatty substance and flour, cooked together for varying periods of time depending on its final use.” It’s always an equal ratio of fat, usually butter, to flour, cooked on low heat and stirred constantly. There are three or four kinds of roux depending on who you ask: white, blond, brown, and dark brown, and a bonus type, water roux, which is more for baking. The roux is the starting point for most of the mother sauces (think béchamel and espagnole, or the end point: mac and cheese) as well as gravy.
I know there isn’t an amount of roux given in the recipe, which I think may be a result of the author always having it prepared and on hand at Ballymaloe. One tablespoon each of fat and flour will thicken 3/4 to one cup of liquid, which is a good place to start. Melt the fat first in a small pan, then whisk in the flour. You don’t need a brown roux for this soup, you just need to cook it for a few minutes to get it out of the raw stage. Then you can remove it from heat and add as directed.
St Stephen’s Day Stew Recipe
There is no official dish for St. Stephen’s day, but leftovers were definitely abundant the day after Christmas, and Darina Allen’s St. Stephen’s day stew (from Festive Food of Ireland) eaten after a modern-day hunt makes very good use of those. Warmed up in a haybox (a slow but very cool method of thermal cooking that uses hay as insulation to retain heat) and served picnic-style, it seems like a fitting, cold-weather dish. I cut down the recipe to 1/3 and increased the liquid so it serves 4-6 people instead of 12, so a lot of these measurements are not exact. That’s the great part about cooking! Unlike baking, which depends on exact ratios and equations, you can improvise and make it your own.
INGREDIENTS
300g/about 10oz cold turkey meat or alternative (see below for vegan recipe)
150g/about 5 or 6oz cold ham, bacon or alternative (see below for vegan recipe)
10g/about 3/4 tbs butter
113g/4oz chopped onions (about 1 small)
75g/about 3oz mushrooms (button or other – less than half of a standard package) – or any vegetable you prefer in a stew, like carrots, celery, parsnips, or peppers
500-950ml/16-32fl oz/2-4 cups stock or broth (turkey, vegetable, etc) *depending on how thick you like your stew*
60-118ml/2-4fl oz/1/4 – 1/2 cup cream or alternative *depending on how thick you like your stew*
1 tsp chopped parsley (about 1/3 tsp dried)
1 tsp chopped chives (about 1/3 tsp dried)
1 tsp fresh marjoram or tarragon (about 1/3 tsp dried)
roux (see above)
4 hot cooked potatoes (cover unpeeled potatoes with about an inch of cold water, add salt, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer – cook in their jackets for 15-30 minutes depending on the size)
salt and pepper
METHOD
1. Cut the turkey, ham, or alternatives into 2.5cm/1in pieces.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan, add onions, cover and sweat for about 10 minutes until soft. Remove onto plate.
3. Wash and slice mushroom or other veg if using. Cook over medium heat, season, and add to onions.
4. Add turkey and ham to pan, toss in butter, then add veg and onion.
5. Deglaze saucepan with broth or stock, then add cream and herbs. Bring to a boil, thicken with roux, add the meat, veg and onions and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste.
6. Peel potatoes and add to stew (I roughly cubed them).
7. Cover and simmer over low heat for another half hour to an hour. Serve hot.
VEGAN/VEG ROAST TURKEY
From Nora Cooks.
INGREDIENTS
15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
180ml / 6fl oz / 3/4 cup broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
225g / 7.5oz / 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
720 – 960ml / 24 – 32fl oz / 3-4 cups additional broth, for steaming
60g / 2oz / 1/2 stick / 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
METHOD
1. Place the chickpeas, broth, olive oil, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, sage, thyme, rosemary, onion powder and garlic powder to blender or food processor and process or blend until smooth.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. Add vital wheat gluten and mix in wet ingredients until it comes together. Transfer to a flat surface and knead around 10 times, then shape into a loaf.
4. Add 3 cups of broth to pot and put loaf in steamer basket (if you don’t have steamer basket or insert, you can make your own by placing a few balls of foil on the bottom of a large pot, then add a heat safe plate that the loaf can sit on. It works quite well in a pinch!).
5. Cover, bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Steam for about an hour, adding brother if necessary.
6. Remove from heat and uncover for a few minutes.
7. To brown, heat a pan over medium-high heat (you could use the same pot you used for steaming). Melt vegan butter and add soy sauce. Add loaf to pan and brown on all sides.
VEGAN/VEG ROAST HAM
From Nora Cooks.
INGREDIENTS
15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
180ml / 6fl oz / 3/4 cup broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons / 1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or regular
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
720 – 960ml / 24 – 32fl oz / 3-4 cups broth, for steaming
Maple Glaze (optional)
55g / 2oz / 1/2 stick / 4 tablespoons melted butter
110g / 4oz / 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
METHOD
1. Add chickpeas, broth, olive oil, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, liquid smoke, maple syrup, paprika, cloves, onion powder and garlic powder to a food processor or blender – process or blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add vital wheat gluten and mix in wet ingredients until it comes together. Knead on a flat surface around 10 times and shape into loaf.
4. Add 3 cups of broth to pot and put loaf in steamer basket (if you don’t have steamer basket or insert, you can make your own by placing a few balls of foil on the bottom of a large pot, then add a heat safe plate that the loaf can sit on. It works quite well in a pinch!).
5. Cover, boil and reduce to a simmer. Steam for about an hour, adding more broth if necessary.
6. Remove from heat and uncover for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas mark 7.
7. Whisk together all glaze ingredients. Place the loaf in an oven-safe dish and score. Add whole cloves if you like.
8. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, basting with glaze every 10 minutes while reserving a little to pour over before serving. Cool for 15 minutes, remove cloves and serve.
Further reading:
Ballard, Linda M. “Some Christmas Customs.” Archaeology Ireland, vol. 3, no. 4, Wordwell Ltd., 1989, pp. 132–35.
Muller, Sylvie. “The Irish Wren Tales and Ritual. To Pay or Not to Pay the Debt of Nature.” Béaloideas, vol. 64/65, An Cumann Le Béaloideas Éireann/Folklore of Ireland Society, 1996, pp. 131–69.
O’Hegarty, P. S. “The Wren Boys.” Béaloideas, vol. 13, no. 1/2, An Cumann Le Béaloideas Éireann/Folklore of Ireland Society, 1943, pp. 275–76.
Thompson, Ellen Powell. “Folk-Lore from Ireland. I.” The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 6, no. 23, University of Illinois Press, 1893, pp. 259–68.
cleite agus cnámh 