The small, unassuming wren may be nothing much to look at, but wait till it starts singing. Its loud, complex songs, and its tendency to sing them throughout winter, has earned it the title of “King of Birds.” But on December 26, the king is dead. Wren Day is a traditional hunting of the wren, followed by celebrations that include disguise, door-to-door visiting and parading, and song. It’s certainly one of our most strange and mysterious Christmas customs, a mixture of Celtic mythology, old Christmas traditions, and revenge for giving away secrets. Tiernan Gaffney from the National Museum of Ireland joins Brian to tell the story. 

Special thanks to Lewis Barfoot for permission to include her beautiful rendition of The Wren Song!

Music in this episode

• "Calm Lullaby for Irish Harp" — Mountain Dweller, via Pixabay
• "Greensleeves" — Julius H., via Pixabay
• "Hark! The Herald Angles Sing" — Jon Sayles, via freemusicpublicdomain.com
• "Angels We Have Heard" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Morning Air" — Noru, via Pixabay
• "The Wren Song" — Lewis Barfoot, shared directly by the artist

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

Books

Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)