St. Stephen's Day in Ireland

A public holiday fixed on 26 December

Ireland’s Organisation of Working Time Act lists St. Stephen’s Day as a public holiday on 26 December. Eligible employees receive a public holiday benefit, but the employer chooses whether that is a paid day off on the date, a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave or an extra day’s pay. Part-time workers generally qualify after working at least 40 hours in the five weeks before the holiday.[1]

When 26 December falls on a day that is not normally a working day for a business, employees still have an entitlement to a benefit, but there is no general legal right to take the next weekday off. The holiday therefore remains on 26 December even when it falls at a weekend; the benefit does not automatically shift to Monday.[1]

Christian meaning

In the Christian calendar, 26 December is the feast of Saint Stephen, remembered as the Church’s first martyr. The feast follows Christmas and recalls Stephen’s preaching, arrest and death by stoning, placing his story in the Christmas season.[2]

Wren Boys and mummers

Wren Day, or Lá an Dreoilín, is a name associated with St. Stephen’s Day in parts of Ireland. Folklore records describe groups going from house to house in disguise, carrying a decorated holly bush and reciting or singing verses about the wren. The accounts also describe collecting money, traditionally said to be for burying the bird.[3]

The customs were not identical everywhere. A National Folklore Collection record from Glencairn, County Waterford, describes masked Wren Boys visiting houses with a ribboned holly bush. Other archival accounts distinguish Wren Boys in much of the south and west from mummers and rhymers in parts of the east and north, where groups performed short plays and rhymes.[3][4] These are records of local traditions, not a guarantee that a performance takes place in every town today.

Planning the day

A public holiday does not mean every business must close. The Workplace Relations Commission’s guidance describes how employees are treated when a business is open or closed, so opening hours can differ between employers and locations.[1] Check directly with a shop, office, bank or venue before making a trip.

Transport plans also need a route-specific check. Iarnród Éireann publishes timetables by route and directs passengers to its Journey Planner for current train times; confirm the service for your route before travelling on the holiday.[5]