St Stephen’s Day Bank Holiday: Traditions and Ideas

The day after

If Christmas Day is about staying in, St Stephen’s Day is about getting out. After a day of eating, people head for the races, the sales, a long walk, or the pub. It’s a public holiday in its own right, not just an extension of Christmas, and it has a character all of its own.

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Outside Ireland, the day is better known as Boxing Day. The Irish name comes from St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, whose feast day it is. In Irish it’s Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, or Lá an Dreoilín (the Day of the Wren).

Hunting the wren

The Wren Boys are one of Ireland’s oldest folk customs. Groups dressed in straw suits, masks or old clothes go from house to house playing music, singing and asking for money ‘to bury the wren’. Originally, a real wren was hunted and carried on a pole; thankfully, that part died out long ago.

The tradition is strongest in Kerry, and particularly in Dingle, where rival wren groups parade through the streets with drums, whistles and fifes from the morning on. It’s loud, chaotic and great fun, and well worth seeing if you’re in the south-west. You’ll also find wren days in parts of Clare, Limerick and elsewhere.

A day at the races

For racing fans, 26 December is one of the biggest days of the year. The Leopardstown Christmas Festival in south Dublin begins on St Stephen’s Day and runs for several days, with some of the best jump racing of the season. Limerick’s Christmas meeting starts the same day, and there’s often racing elsewhere too.

Book tickets in advance, wrap up warm and plan your transport. Leopardstown can be reached by Luas, but services may be reduced over the holiday, so check before you go.

What’s open

St Stephen’s Day is much busier than Christmas Day. Many shops open, and some start their sales, though some retailers prefer to open from 27 December. Pubs and restaurants open, and plenty of hotels run special St Stephen’s Day menus. Banks and post offices are closed.

Public transport runs, but on a reduced holiday timetable, and some services don’t operate at all. Check the operator’s website before travelling, especially if you’re heading to the races or the airport.

• Open: many shops (some with sales), pubs, restaurants and hotels.
• Closed: banks, post offices and most public offices.
• Transport: limited holiday timetables; some routes don’t run.
• Sport: racing at Leopardstown and Limerick; football fixtures in Britain.

When it falls on a weekend

If St Stephen’s Day lands on a Saturday or Sunday, the next available weekday is usually given off. Because it sits right next to Christmas Day, the two holidays move together. Our date tables show the exact days off for any year, so you won’t have to work it out yourself.

Walks to work off the dinner

A St Stephen’s Day walk is something of a tradition. Popular spots near Dublin, like Howth, Killiney and the Phoenix Park, are very busy, while forest parks and beaches around the country are full of families walking off the turkey. In the west and south-west, beaches like Inch, Banna and Lahinch are great on a crisp, clear day.

As with any winter walk, light is short. Set off by late morning and keep an eye on the time.

Making a break of it

The days between Christmas and New Year are a strange, lovely limbo, and one of the easiest times to take a short break. Plenty of people are off work, and hotels often have better availability than you’d expect. A couple of nights in Killarney, Dingle or Wicklow, with walks by day and pubs by night, is a great way to recover from Christmas.

If you’re going to Dingle for the wren, book well ahead, as the town is popular that week.

Why the wren?

St Stephen was the first Christian martyr, stoned to death in Jerusalem shortly after the time of Jesus. The connection with the wren comes from Irish folklore. One story says a wren’s chattering gave away Stephen’s hiding place. Another, more Irish version, says a wren drumming on a shield woke a sleeping enemy camp and betrayed Irish soldiers who were preparing to attack.

Whatever the origins, the wren became the ‘king of the birds’ in Irish tradition (the bird who outwitted the eagle), and the hunting of it on St Stephen’s Day was once common across much of Ireland. Today, no birds are harmed, and the money collected by wren groups often goes to local charities or to fund a ‘wren dance’ later in the season.

For football fans, St Stephen’s Day is a traditional fixture day in Britain, and pubs across Ireland show the matches. Combine that with the racing, the walks and the leftovers, and it’s a day that rarely drags. If you’re heading to the sales, go early or wait for the online versions, which often start on Christmas Day itself.

Add it to your calendar

Do you get the day off?

Most workers are owed a benefit for every public holiday, but it isn’t always the day itself. Read your public holiday rights.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if St Stephen’s Day falls on a Saturday?

The next available weekday is usually given off. As Christmas Day would be on Friday, St Stephen’s Day moves to the Monday.

Are shops open on St Stephen’s Day in Ireland?

Many are, and some start their sales on the day. Others wait until 27 December. Banks and post offices are closed.

Is St Stephen’s Day the same as Boxing Day?

Yes. They’re the same date, 26 December. Ireland calls it St Stephen’s Day; Britain and other countries call it Boxing Day.

Where can I see the Wren Boys?

Dingle in Co. Kerry is the best-known place, with wren groups parading through the town on St Stephen’s Day. Smaller wren days happen in other parts of Munster and beyond.

Does public transport run on St Stephen’s Day?

Yes, but on a reduced holiday timetable, and some routes don’t run. Check with the operator before you travel.

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