In Ireland, people celebrate Christmas in a way similar to those in the UK and the United States, but at the same time have many country-specific traditions. The Irish are Catholic, so for Christmas they last from Christmas to Epiphany (some Irish people call this Little Christmas holiday).
In some Irish houses, people put a high and thick candle on the window sill of the largest window in the house at sunset on the evening of Eve. It is left to burn all night and signifies the welcoming light for Mary and Joseph.
The day after Christmas, St. Stephen's Day (known as Boxing Day in the UK and several other countries) is also very important in Ireland. As in the UK, football matches and horse races take place, these being very old traditions.
