Brainstorm | Opinion, Analysis, Reports, Features

"The art of making chocolate is now a science, one that chocolatiers experiment on all over the world".

The science that makes chocolate so addictive

How the chocolate industry relies on the right scientific recipe to keep customers happy

'The custom was that women made social calls to the homes of their friends and neighbours and enjoyed tea and the last of the Christmas cake'. Photo: George Marks/Getty Images

The roots and traditions of Nollaig na mBan

There are many Irish folk rituals associated with January 6th, the last day of Christmas and the day known as Nollaig na mBan

Ireland • 06 Jan

Hunting the wran in Dingle on St Stephen's Day is done with great passion, enthusiasm and commitment

'I'll see you the Wran's Day in Dingle

While the St Stephen's Day tradition of hunting the wran has largely died out elsewhere, it continues with great gusto in Dingle, Co Kerry

St Stephens Day • 25 Dec 24

You could have called me Rudi, you know. Photo: Tim Bish/Unsplash

Noel, Stephen, Holly, Nollaig: the names we give Christmas babies

Many Christmas babies have traditionally carried a key sign throughout their lives of when they were born in the form of their name

Baby Names • 24 Dec 24

A Frost Piece by James Arthur O'Connor. Image: National Gallery of Ireland

What was Christmas like in rural Ireland back in the day?

Here are seven snapshots of how Christmas used to be marked in Ireland

Christmas • 02 Jan

Is this where the original Santa Claus is buried? The ruins of St. Nicholas's Church in Newtown Jerpoint, Co Kilkenny where the remains of St Nicholas are buried. Photo: Getty Images

How did the saint who inspired Santa Claus end up in Co Kilkenny?

The remains of St Nicholas are said to be in the grounds of a ruined chuch in Co Kilkenny thanks to some medieval adventurers

Christmas • 23 Dec 24

Enniscorthy, Co Wexford: the real home of the Wexford Carol. Photo: Getty Images

'Good people all': the Xmas carol from Enniscorthy (or Wexford)

Whether you know it as the Wexford or Enniscorthy Carol, this beautiful composition has travelled the world

Christmas • 22 Dec 24

Wren Boys on the road in Athea, Co Limerick in 1947. Photo: Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann/National Folklore Collection

Hunting the wren in Dingle on St Stephen's Day 1929

Frenchwoman Marie-Louise Sjoestedt spent Christmas 1929 in west Kerry and observed many of the local customs associated with the season

Christmas • 20 Dec 24

A hand-coloured print of Our Lady ironing by Beatrice Glenavy. Printed by Cuala Press. Photo: Board of Trinity College Dublin

Why halos and headscarves were winners for Cuala's artists

Associating Christianity and Catholicism with Irishness was a mark of distinctiveness for the Irish Free State in its early years

Culture • 23 Dec 24

The real value of Christmas is not monetary, but rather the rituals and traditions of the season. Photo: Eugene Zhyvchik/Unsplash

Do the substantial costs of Christmas outweigh the benefits?

The pressure to spend money at this time of year is enormous and there are many reasons why our spending decisions are not rational

Christmas • 19 Dec 24

Who needs Die Hard when you have Mrs Brown?

What will the rest of Europe be watching on TV over Christmas?

Forget Mrs Brown's Boys, traditional European Christmas TV faves include Donald Duck, Dinner for One, cinepanettoni and Soviet architecture

Christmas • 18 Dec 24

Entrance of Mountjoy Prison in Dublin in August 1968. Photo: Getty Images

A history of temporary release for prisoners in Ireland

Christmas amnesties for prisoners peaked in 1995 with 390 granted temporary release, but numbers have since swiftly declined

Christmas • 17 Jun

As Bob Dylan eloquently put it, 'who's got boots and a suit of red?
Santa's got boots and a suit of red.' Photo: Kamran Aydinov/Freepik

Why does Santa wear red?

The decision to wear red was influenced by other gift-bringers, but there is also a scientific reason for Santa's red outfit

Christmas • 23 Dec 24

Would you trust these lads to get you and your cargo round the world in one night?

Just how do reindeers fly Santa's sleigh around the world?

Santa Claus and his elf-scientists use some very smart climate-friendly science to get Christmas done

Christmas • 17 Dec 24

The little wren at large. Photo: Michael Finn

How the wren became the king of all birds

A huge number of folklore traditions and rituals have grown up around the little wren, especially at this time of year

Christmas • 16 Dec 24

(Stock image) A potato stuffing recipe from the rocky slopes of Mount Gabriel in west Cork. Photo: Getty Images

My Christmas tradition: Granny's potato stuffing recipe from Cork

Passed down through generations, this is excellent reheated with leftovers or carved into chunks for a turkey sandwich

Christmas • 28 Apr

Occasions like Christmas can intensify feelings of homesickness. Photo: fizkes/ Shutterstock

How to deal with homesickness on your first Xmas away from home

Work, school and relationships may mean many young people are far from family at Christmas, with all homesickness that involves

Christmas • 16 Dec 24

These lads are certainly up for the Christmas (well, bar the one on the left)

Why celebrating Christmas is good for your mental health

After a tough year, embracing the spirit of Christmas and the New Year may be good for our mental health

Christmas • 16 Dec 24

So this is the week after Christmas and what have you done? Photo: Mariia Korneeva/ Shutterstock

Why do many of us feel so 'blah' in the first week of January?

Here's how to beat the post-Christmas blues and prevent low moods and languishing

Mental Health • 16 Dec 24

The Christmas bird coming to a garden near you

Why do we associate robins with Christmas?

We associate robins with Christmas for reasons ingrained in our history, culture and popular fables

Christmas • 16 Dec 24

Macsweeney's Feast, An Irish Banquet. After John Derricke's The Image Of Ireland. From The Book Short History Of The English People By J.R. Green, Published London 1893. Photo: Getty Images

How medieval Irish elites feasted and fought at Christmas

The great households of medieval Ireland were experts at wielding their hospitality and their power at Christmas festivities

Christmas • 16 Dec 24

The reindeer possesses unqiue and invaluable skills for putting in a serious shift on Christmas Eve

5 ways reindeer are perfect for pulling Santa's sleigh

Reindeer can stay warm, see in the dark, stay upright on slippery surfaces and find food in the harshest of environments

animals • 16 Dec 24

It might be a tight squeeze for the Christmas turkey in the air fryer. Photo: Getty Images

Does cooking your Christmas dinner in the air fryer save money?

An energy economist outlines what to consider if you're considering cooking your Christmas dinner in the air fryer

Energy • 12 Dec 24

So you want to know about what happens on Christmas Eve, do you?

Can scientists answer kids' questions about Santa Claus?

Irish school kids ask questions about what Santa does on Christmas Eve and a bunch of scientists try to provide the answers

Christmas • 16 Dec 24

'When the Pie was opened, The Birds began to sing'. From "Sing a Song of Sixpence", illustrated by artist Randolph Caldecott in 1880. Photo: The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images

How a Christmas pie caused controversy in the Irish Free State

For over a century Ireland sent a woodcock pie to the British monarch every Christmas, but a letter and Domhnall Ó Buachalla put a stop to it

Christmas • 12 Dec 24