Description

The folk songs of Ireland are “the free, direct speech of the soul” and were passed down from generation to generation, changing and shifting with the times. Irish music, dance and songs were influenced by many elements, including the various people that settled there from surrounding countries. The jig, so popular in Ireland, was imported from England, and the bagpipes from Scotland. One thing is for certain, the songs and dances of Ireland grew in the rural areas and became part of the local culture. The Celtic Irish Santa, in true Irish tradition, is taking a little break from his delivery duties to play a quick song or two on his banjo, an instrument that made its way to Ireland from America through traveling vaudeville and minstrel shows around 1840. Music plays an important role in Irish Christmas celebrations and many children receive musical instruments from Santa. Santa’s sack is filled with a St. Patrick doll, castle, harp, and a good luck teddy bear. As he resumes his travels from village to village, the Irish Santa can be seen waving and calling out “Nollaig Shona” to all, Gaelic for Happy Christmas. Accompanying the Santa is the very talented and musical leprechaun, Tomas, and just as the Celtic Irish Santa loves to make wonderful Irish music with his banjo, Tomas can easily join in with a jig. Also, you will find the friendly Celtic Irish Snowman and Lucky, the leprechaun, who have both found their “Pot of Gold.” They have spent years and years of searching at the end of every rainbow after each storm throughout the green hills of Ireland. As you can tell by the smile on their faces, their search is over. God made the grass, the air and the rain; and the grass, the air and the rain made the Irish and the Irish turned the grass, the air and the rain back to God. – Sean O’Faolain.

Collection: Irish Collection
Item #: 11527
Height: 6.5 inches
Made of cold cast resin
Edition Limit: Numbered – #813
Introduced in: 2004