Ideas for an old-fashioned Irish Christmas

[AVeryIrishChristmas]

We are hosting MIL for Christmas this year.
She has dementia and is very confused/forgetful, but she loves talking about and remembering her childhood.

Unfortunately she can’t remember enough to tell me herself, but I’d love to include some little touches at Christmas that might remind her of her childhood celebrations.

She grew up in rural north-west Ireland in the 1940s.

Does anyone have any ideas of things like food, drink, music, decorations, games etc that might spark a recollection?

It's women's little Christmas today. A twelfth night...Monday isn't great for too much frivolity!
St Bridget an St Patrick looming.

Is it not the 13th night?

Yes it is.

Twelfth night is the eve of the Epiphany, so the evening of the 5th these days.

I think the confusion arises because in the past a day used start at sunset for some cultures anyway and that is the Biblical tradition still. Sunset to the following sundown was the day. It didn’t start and finish at midnight as it does now. So the evening of the 5th, as we see it, was the beginning of the 6th for them. Twelfth night was part of the 6th when you think of it like that.

It’s why lots of countries have the big Christmas meal on Christmas Eve too.

It is the Feast of the Epiphany.

This was lovely to read, OP, thank you.