Saint Stephen's Day - or "Stephenses Day" as it's better known 'round these parts - might be Christmas Day 2.0 for some, but it's also a holiday in its own right.
Unlike on Christmas Day, the pressure is off. The gifts have already been given, the feast has already been made and you can coast through the day on the hard work and leftovers of the day prior.
Like Christmas though, every household has its own way of celebrating. Some treat it as an extension of Christmas Day, some prefer to spend it drinking in company and others use it to get bargain hunting.
Read more: Things every Dublin kid had on their Christmas list in the 60s & 70s
No matter how you spend the day, there's no denying that the average Stephen's Day of most people who grew up in Dublin looks something like the following...
Turkey morning, noon and night
It wouldn't be the day after Christmas without leftovers. Whether it's part of a replica of the day before's dinner or in a sandwich with a dollop of mayo, turkey is just about the only non-junk food historically eaten on Stephen's Day.
The sales
Gone is the age-old Irish concept of "the January sales" as now, post-Christmas sales begin on December 26. And in a very American, Black Friday fashion, these sales attract hoards of people to queue up outside of Dublin's biggest shops ahead of their opening.
We've all seen footage in recent years of Brown Thomas opening their doors to large crowds first thing on the morning of Stephen's Day. As many as there are who love the thrill of an immediate post-Christmas bargain hunt, there's more of us who can only look on and wonder: how do these people have the energy to shop so soon after Christmas shopping? How did they enjoy Christmas Day with plans to get up so early the day after?
Not to mention that with a 'shopping Stephenses' for some comes a 'working Stephenses' for others. How many times have retail workers heard "it's terrible they're making you work today" from a customer whose very presence demands they work today...
All day drinking
Retail workers aren't the only ones who often have to clock in straight after Christmas, with many pubs finding Stephen's Day to be just as busy as Christmas Eve. In many places, entire communities pop down to their local for a day-long session of drinking and having the chats. For many, it's an opportunity to catch up with neighbours or with old friends who live abroad and came home for Christmas.
Even those who stay home can still engage in the seasonal drinking - i.e. having their first can before noon. Sure lookit, it's Christmas!
Movie marathons
The couch potatoes among us know that aside from whatever's streaming on demand, there's a roster of films always aired by networks every Stephen's Day. Just as 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' or 'the Wizard of Oz' is guaranteed to be played on Christmas Day, Stephen's Day telly usually consists of the likes of 'the Commitments' (or 'the Snapper', or any other Roddy Doyle classic), a DreamWorks kids' movie released within the past 20 years ('Shrek', 'Kung Fu Panda', or one of the 'Despicable Me'/'Minions' movies) and an instalment from the '007' or 'Indiana Jones' franchises.
Showing off to visitors
While the run-up to Christmas - or indeed Christmas day itself - might have been filled with visits, there's usually one reserved for Stephen's Day, be it with neighbours or another set of cousins. As a kid, this brought the opportunity to show off whatever you got the day before, as well as the chance to test out someone else's gifts and make note for next year's wish list. Sound.
What way are you spending Stephen's Day? Will you be doing any, all or none of the above? Let us know in the comments below.
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