This week we learned all about Christmas in Ireland. We read the book over the course of the week. On Monday we made candleholders out of turnips and ate dinner by candlelight. We made Irish soda bread on Tuesday. Ani really liked it. I thought it turned out awfully dense. One Wednesday we had a dinner of spiced beef and minted peas. Cameron thought it was a little too spicy. On Friday we ate boiled ham and glazed carrots. No one was all that impressed with the glazed carrots. Also on Friday, we we made six little wren ornaments for our Christmas tree, two each in yellow, purple, and blue.

It just so happened that the postman brought a package from Ireland Friday morning. Of course the Christmas presents are all wrapped (and the children are quite disturbed that I won’t let them open them yet), but the candy and advent calendars were opened right up. So our week learning about Christmas in Ireland concluded with eating lots and lots of Irish candy and opening the first “door” on the Irish advent calendars and both of the big kids eating the little pieces of Irish chocolate that were behind those “doors.”

Next week: Christmas in the Philippines.