Creating a Memorable Christmas Season

Christmas time is an exciting time, and many of the traditions meld perfectly with Celtic music and Celtic gifts. Whether you are just considering exchanging claddagh wedding rings this Christmas season, or just making a present of some Celtic jewelry, Celtic Christmas music is the perfect accompaniment.

Although technically Celtic Christmas music is never traditional, at least not to the Celts — the Celts didn’t celebrate Christmas originally — once they were converted they adopted many of the traditions, including the familiar music we all know and love. Many Celtic artists love to release Christmas music with a definitive Celtic flavor, so there are many Celtic Christmas music CDs on the market for you to choose from — many from your favorite Celtic artists.

For instance, one immensely popular Celtic artist is Loreena McKennitt. In 2008, she released a Christmas album that combines her very traditional flavor of music with traditional holiday songs. The result is a very unique Celtic Christmas CD unlike any other holiday album.

Another popular Celtic artist, Enya, has also released a Christmas album of sorts. Enya fans will recognize the new-agey sounds she is known for, but she has also made an effort to include more of a Celtic flavor. Rather than focusing on well-known traditional Christmas classics, she breaks the mold with a slightly different mixture of winter-themed songs, with a few traditional songs (such as “Silent Night,” sung in Irish-Gaelic) thrown in for good measure.

You may also have heard of the group The Chieftains, known for their traditional Irish sounds. This group has also released an excellent Christmas album, which features guest singers and unique takes on Christmas theme, such as the title track, “The Bells of Dublin.”

Don’t overlook the value of compilations, either. In addition to the many Celtic Christmas music CDs released by popular artists, there are numerous compilations by lesser-known artists that are well-worth listening into. Whether you like traditional Christmas songs, lyrics and all, or prefer instrumental versions, or whether you would rather hear original songs written for Christmas by Celtic artists, there are sure to be several compilations that offer just the kind of music you want to hear.

Celtic Christmas music is a wonderful way to put a warm, welcoming spin on traditional holiday music. Especially if you have other Celtic traditions planned for the holidays, or if you plan on giving Celtic jewelry as a gift, be sure to browse the many selections of Celtic music available online and in stores. You are sure to find something that suits your needs perfectly!

admin Celtic Articles celtic jewelry, claddagh wedding rings

A Celebration of Arthurian Tradition

If you and your loved one are considering getting married in a Celtic-themed ceremony — for instance, exchanging Celtic wedding rings or claddagh wedding rings — Christmastime is a good time for this. Many of the roots of Christmas as we now know it stem from Alban Arthuan, the Celtic equivalent of Christmas.

Alban Arthuan is celebrated on the winter solstice, December 21. Translated into English, the name means “The Light of Arthur.” The holiday is also called Yule, and many of the traditions were adopted by Christianity. In fact, you would be surprised how many of the Christian traditions you are familiar with actually have Celtic roots! But we’ll talk about that more in a future post.

The name Alban Arthuan, or “The Light of Arthur,” is assumed by many to refer to King Arthur. Legend had it that King Arthur was born on the winter solstice, much like Christian tradition celebrates Jesus’ birthday on December 25. Although the name may refer to one of the purposes of the holiday — celebrating the rebirth of the sun, and the coming of longer days — legend also had it that the great King Arthur was sleeping in a mountain. Someday when his people needed him again, he would awaken and return to save them.

Arthurian legend has gone through many changes over the years. The earliest accounts in literature hailed him as a great warrior rather than a king, while later writings established many of the legends of King Arthur that are still well known today. All of these legends of Arthur establish him as a hero in the fight against the 6th century Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain.

The legends of King Arthur may also have stemmed from earlier myths about a god named Artaius, found in the early mythology of the Celtic country, Gaul. Many of the other names in Arthurian legend can be found in Gaulic mythology, as well: Gwenhwyvar (Guinevere), Myrddin (Merlin), and Medrawt (Mordred), just to name a few. Some scholars theorize that the god Artaius evolved into a legendary warrior and king, who was credited with doing great things in battle and as a ruler. In fact, his feats may have been real, just performed by many different people instead of just one man. The Celts needed a savior, and they found one in Arthur.

Regardless of how the Arthur legends came about, one thing is for sure: The Christmas season is rich with Celtic heritage, and therefore a meaningful time for lovers to exchange Celtic wedding rings.

admin Celtic Wedding Articles celtic jewelry, celtic wedding rings, claddagh wedding rings

There are a number of traditions surrounding Celtic wedding rings. Celtic wedding ceremonies have been quite influential on many of our modern wedding traditions, so even without knowing it, your wedding might be more Celtic than you realize. Of course, by including a few ancient traditions, you can honor the beautiful Celtic heritage even more.

For instance, in Celtic ceremonies it was traditional for the bride to place her groom’s ring in his hand while speaking her wedding vows. Then he would place his ring for her in her hand, and say his vows as well. Celtic wedding rings were also worn on the ring finger of the left hand during this period, because it was believed there was a vein in this finger that flowed directly into the heart, so wearing the ring on this finger was symbolic of love.

The modern tradition of the unity candle also stems from Celtic wedding traditions. After exchanging the rings, the bride and groom each received a lit candle from their respective families. The two then used their candles to light a larger candle at the same time. This larger candle represented the joining not only of the couple (as it is typically viewed in modern unity candle rituals), but of their families or clans as well.

Another Celtic tradition was for the couple to draw a circle around themselves at the start of the ceremony. This ritual was known as Caim, and the circle surrounding the couple represented their relationship with each other and with God.

These ancient wedding traditions had a bigger impact on modern weddings than you might realize. For instance, it is traditional for the bride to stand on the groom’s left during the ceremony. This part of the ceremony came into being because in historical times, it symbolically left the groom’s right arm free to fight off the bride’s family as he took her away with him!

Even the old saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in your shoe,” stems from old Celtic wedding traditions. Blue was supposed to be a lucky color, and the new item — usually the bride’s handkerchief — was also supposed to bring luck to the couple. The borrowed item represented friendship, and the coin in the bride’s shoe was supposed to bring them financial success.

Celtic wedding ceremonies often started with a reference to the cyclical ebb and flow of life. The circular shape of the rings, and the unending designs found in Celtic jewelry, also symbolized this concept. Therefore by incorporating Celtic rings and customs into your modern wedding ceremony, you are celebrating the ancient roots of this beautiful practice.

admin Celtic Wedding Articles celtic jewelry, claddagh wedding rings, Meta keywords: Celtic wedding rings