Today is Women's Little Christmas, or Nollaig na mBan as it's known in Gaelic. (Okay, okay... here you go: in English and more.).

This 'holiday' used to be celebrated all over Ireland, but now it's mostly a Cork thing. The idea is that as a woman you have worked so hard over Christmas you now get a day off. Men take care of the kiddies, and the housework, and all the women go out to the pub, or for lunch or dinner with friends, sisters, mothers, and so on. I've heard that the pubs and restaurants are 90 percent female today. Frances and I are going out tonight, so I should have a more detailed report tomorrow.