As we approach the holiday season, here are some of our favorite Irish Christmas blessings to share with friends and loved ones.
Use these on greeting cards, holiday party invitations, or many other ways to express your Irish side during the holidays.
Get a warm and cozy start to your Christmas morning (or any morning) with this lovely Irish Christmas blessing...
Bless the bowl, bless Irish land and bless God this wonderful Christmas morning. "As the sun rises gold, Over the Emerald Isle, May your oat's hot steam, Nourish your Irish smile. And may you be thankful, to Him who fills your bowl, warms your heart, and soothes your soul."
In Ireland, as in many countries that have known both blessings and hardship, much is appreciated and little is taken for granted. Share your gratitude for the most basic things, with this Irish Christmas blessing upon your home.
"God bless the corners of your house and all the lintels blessed. And bless the hearth and bless the board and bless each place of rest, And bless each door that opens wide to strangers as to kin, And bless each crystal window pane that lets the starlight in, And bless the rooftop overhead and every sturdy wall.
The peace of man. The peace of God. With peace and love for all."
In Old Ireland, it was believed that wee fairy folk found shelter from the cold in the holly wreath. Today, no Irish Christmas would be complete without the Advent Wreath. Let us bless our wreath.
"Father, all powerful Lord of Light, bless our wreath with its candles. May our Advent be a time of preparation. Help us reflect on the power of light to dispel darkness in our world and in our lives. Touch our hearts with the warmth of your love.
- Veritas Book of Blessing Prayers
When Christmas dinner is a memory and the special day draws to a close, share this special Irish blessing to leave your guests with warm and happy memories.
"May the songs of the season rise to greet you. May the winter wind be always at your back. May the frost shimmer soft upon your fields. And, until we meet again, May the love of God shine warm upon your home."
And, so it is, another Christmas season comes to a close.
"May your corn stand high as yourself, your fields grow bigger with rain, and the mare know its own way home on Christmas night!"
Irish words of holiday devotion can be found in proverbs, quotes, songs, toasts and more. Check out our section on Irish Christmas Sayings for even more ideas!
It is probably obvious - at Irish Expressions, we love Irish wit and wisdom! Knowing the perfect Irish 'thing to say' on any occasion gives us a deeper sense of connection with Ireland, wherever in the world we happen to be!
To help you build your own personal Irish vocabulary, we have over the years created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.
Want them right now? Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."
Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side." You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now. What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"
Well never fear! Since 2009 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use. We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 50 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.
Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations! But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long.
Oh, want one more reason to order right away? If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.
ORDER YOUR IRISH EXPRESSIONS PLAYBOOK HERE