This year seems to have seen a remarkable change in the make up of the population in Ireland. Although it's a cultural diversity which has been met with everything from suspicion to hysteria, there is a lot to celebrate, particularly a new rich heritage of festivities at Christmas time.
Irma O'Cuiv moved here from Italy with her husband, Eoin, some years ago. They now have three children, Shan, Brian and Liam. "Of course in Italy Christmas is a big day," says Irma, "but the really big celebration takes place on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany. We celebrate that ourselves here. On that morning the Beffana, an old witch who flies around during the night on a broom, leaves sweets wrapped in colourful socks for children who have been good."
Christmas in Italy is a big family event. "In Italy Christmas starts on December 24th," explains Irma. "All day we can only eat fish, but at midnight the celebrating begins. Then the whole family, including the children, sit down to the big meal. We don't eat turkey, we would eat meat filled pasta, and there are all sorts of different kinds of Christmas cake. On Christmas Day we go to Mass and later the kids open their presents from Babbo Natale, Santa Claus."
Up in northern Europe, Advent and St Nicholas Day feature strongly in winter celebrations. The Rudolph Steiner School in Co Kildare follows the tradition of its Austrian founder, Rudolph Steiner - the main celebration takes place on the first day of Advent.
David Fairclough, a teacher at the school, says: "The children spend the day gathering moss. Then the adults build a big spiral on the floor in the middle of the room, made from the moss, decorated with crystals and glittering stones. We light a tall candle in the centre of the spiral.
"Initially this is the only light in the room so the whole event has a very beautiful atmosphere. Then each child comes in with a candle, walks to the centre of the spiral to light it and walks back out again, leaving the lit candle somewhere on the spiral. Gradually the room lights up. We tell the children the whole festival represents the light coming into the the cold and darkness of winter, just as the baby Jesus brought brightness and warmth to Mary and Joseph."
Three years ago Frazer and Flavia Mushibwe came to Ireland from Zambia. They have a six-month-old baby, Natasha. "There's no such thing as Santa Claus in Zambia," says Flavia. "We would hear about him all right, but Santa is the story of a tradition in the West. We're going back to Zambia soon so this will be Natasha's only chance to cash in on the whole thing. I'll be taking her to see Santa Claus and we've bought her loads of presents."
Zambia is a predominantly Christian country, and Mass is a must at Christmas. "Many people go to Mass at midnight on Christmas Eve and spend the night there, praying and singing carols," says Flavia. "Here in Dublin I'll go to the Pentacostal Church on Pearse Street and celebrate in much the same way."
Frazer has a somewhat different take on the whole event in Zambia. "Well, lots of people do go to Mass, the kids get dressed up in their best clothes and off they all go, but it's also a time for some serious drinking." The pubs stay open all through Christmas Day and into the early hours of the morning.
"There is very little money in Zambia now," he says, "but people save up for their beer at Christmas. It's a big community occasion. Everyone comes together to share food and drink and we play loud dance music all day long. Meat is a rare thing for most families, but at Christmas we would all eat chicken, maybe rice and potatoes, whatever we can afford. Giving gifts is not very common, sharing food and drink is how we celebrate really."
Families from Vietnam, East Timor, Iraq and Mexico, now living in Ireland, will all have their own particular celebration. Mexicans will celebrate the Posadas, the asking for shelter, three weeks before Christmas Day. This celebration involves singing and breaking open a pinata, a pot filled with sweets, nuts and fruits.
In Iraq, a mainly Muslim country, Christmas is recognised, although the birth of Jesus - one of Islam's important prophets - is celebrated on January 6th.
Whatever way they mark the occasion normally, refugees and asylum-seekers now living in Ireland will have quite a difficult time this Christmas, struggling with poverty and anxious about loved ones left behind. Harmony is an anti-racist organisation set up in Ireland 11 years ago.
Eilish McCourtney Baldwin, public relations officer, says: "This year we're having a big party for about 100 children and their parents. We'll have two Santas, one black, one white, who will give the children gifts. We'll have loads of food, and all sorts of games for the kids. We expect to have families from Russia, Zaire, Bosnia, all over the world in fact. It's a very hard time of the year if you're living in adverse circumstances. We hope to extend a welcome to all these families through the party."
