St Stephen’s Day

This day commemorates Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, who was stoned to death in 36 AD. It is a public holiday in many European countries. It is also means Wren Day in the Republic of Ireland, where people dress up in old clothes, wear straw hats and travel from door to door with fake wrens, and they dance, sing and play music. This tradition is less common than it was a couple of generations ago.