It´s definitely happening! Christmas is just around the corner, and I´d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday.
Nollaig Shona is the most extended Gaelic vesion of our "Merry Christmas", at least to my knowledge (I just read you can also say Nollaig Shona Duit, translated as "Merry Christmas to you"). Interestingly, the word Nollaig means Christmas and also December, which gives us an idea of how inseparable the Christian religion is from Ireland´s traditional culture. December is, simply put, the month of Christmas.
Both Spain (the country where I was born) and Ireland (where I live and work) are traditionally Catholic, although their customs around this time of the year are quite different, I suppose due to differences in cultural and geographical influences. In Spain, for example, it´s much more common to see Nativity scenes, like this one I photographed a few years ago:
On the other hand, the best of Ireland (in my opinion) is the festive lights; I believe they have the power to almost magically transform the sadness and darkness of the long December nights into joy and excitement for what is yet to come. And that´s exactly the meaning of this holiday, dating back to long before Christianity: celebrating the winter solstice. Remembering that, even when there are moments where darkness takes over, and there doesn´t seem to be any hope left, eventually the light will triumph again.
It´s also a good time of the year to meet with friends and family, if the circumstances allow, and celebrate being together. Or it may be the perfect occasion to rest for a few days, do something different or recharge batteries to prepare for a strong start of the year.
In any case, regardless of the way you choose to celebrate (or not), let me wish you happy holidays!