Why do Northern Irish Nationalists call St.Stephens or Stephens Day, Boxing Day?

[Hardy]

http://hubpages.com/hub/St_Stephens_Day_-_December_26th

And its neither St Stephen's Day or Boxing Day, its Lá an Dreoilín.

It's none of those. It's Steevenzes Day.

[Estimator]

Why do Northern Irish Nationalists call St.Stephens or Stephens Day, Boxing Day? Cannot understand this, have met quite a few recently who didn't even know what I was talking about when I said Stephens Day.

Is it more common up in the 6 to call it Boxing Day rather than Stephens Day?

Stephen & Patrick get all the attention for Saints days in Ireland yet we don't care about the others.
Why don't we call the 7th Dec St Ambrose's day or 31st Dec St Sylvester's?

[lurganblue]

Shrove Tuesday and pancake Tuesday if you will? Who gives a feck

[5 Sams]

http://hubpages.com/hub/St_Stephens_Day_-_December_26th

And its neither St Stephen's Day or Boxing Day, its Lá an Dreoilín.

Do they still do 'The Wren' or 'The Wran' where any of ye are from?
I remember some of the local lads around Ballintubber years ago - faces painted, some with tin whistles, playing a tune and then recite the song/poem. It goes something like "The wran, the wran, the king of the birds..." can't remember the rest.

The last few years, the only ones I've seen doing it have been Traveller children going around the pubs looking for money.

Just saw that the poem is in that link:


The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,

On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,

Although he is little, his family is great,

I pray you, good landlady, give us a treat.

My box would speak, if it had but a tongue,

And two or three shillings, would do it not wrong,

Sing holly, sing ivy--sing ivy, sing holly,

A drop just to drink, it would drown melancholy.

And if you draw it of the best,

I hope in heaven your soul will rest;

But if you draw it of the small,

It won't agree with these wren boys at all.

Dingle's your only place for the Wran....some crack!

[unitedireland]

Yeah this really annoys me. I like to call them west brits

[Estimator]

Yeah this really annoys me. I like to call them west brits

Why? 
Can you explain why St Stephen is more important than the other saints, in the sense that no one gets annoyed that 7th Dec is not referred to as St Ambrose's day?

[BennyHarp]

Why do Northern Irish Nationalists call St.Stephens or Stephens Day, Boxing Day? Cannot understand this, have met quite a few recently who didn't even know what I was talking about when I said Stephens Day.

Is it more common up in the 6 to call it Boxing Day rather than Stephens Day?

You can't understand this?
And people you where talking to didnt even know what you were talking about?

Its good to see you are hanging around with people of the same intellect as yourself!

Also it amuses me when Southern Irish Nationalists call us Northern Irish Nationalists. Generally, this comes before they tell us about something "we" do that they disapprove of.

[bennydorano]

Brought to my attention as an 'issue' a few years ago by a chap, so i obviously continue to call it Boxing day for the annoyance value.  I would say who gives a f**k? but some obviously do.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Look whatever I call King George Day is my own business.

[Rossfan]

http://hubpages.com/hub/St_Stephens_Day_-_December_26th

And its neither St Stephen's Day or Boxing Day, its Lá an Dreoilín.

Do they still do 'The Wren' or 'The Wran' where any of ye are from?
Just saw that the poem is in that link:

Still a bit of it round North Ros among the children when I was young ... we'd dress up in oul clothes and rattle a few coins, blow into mouth organs and the like door to door.
Now it's confined to occasional real musicians doin rounds of pubs .
The rhyme we had was
" The wran the wran king of all birds
St Stephenses day was caught in the furze
Up with the kettles and down with the pans
Give us a penny to bury the wran"
I believe wren boys were called mummers in parts of Laythrum .

[ziggysego]

The Greencastle Boxing Day Run is on St. Stephen's Day. Anyone going?

[Tubberman]

Brought to my attention as an 'issue' a few years ago by a chap, so i obviously continue to call it Boxing day for the annoyance value.  I would say who gives a f**k? but some obviously do.

Ah yeah, sure Guy Fawkes/Bonfire night is the same as well isn't it 

Of course, the REAL bonfire night is on 23rd June

[deiseach]

So - have we established, as a rule, whether Taigs in the North call it St Stephen's Day or Boxing Day?

[Orior]

To those who say its all irrelevant....

The St Stephen's Day/Boxing Day thing is a small example of how the "Irishness" of northern nationalists has been eroded away. On its own, its a tiny matter, but its death by a thousand cuts. I thank the Irish News for their persistance with the name.

The english want northern nationalists to fall in line with OWC claiming that the six counties will be a better happier place. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll continute to use St Stephen's Day.

[bennydorano]

Brought to my attention as an 'issue' a few years ago by a chap, so i obviously continue to call it Boxing day for the annoyance value.  I would say who gives a f**k? but some obviously do.

Ah yeah, sure Guy Fawkes/Bonfire night is the same as well isn't it 

Of course, the REAL bonfire night is on 23rd June

Failing to see your point, but maybe it's because s I dont care about it either.