The tradition of the 12 Irish Pubs of Christmas

In Ireland, Christmas is a very important holiday for the whole family! This includes students, who have created their own Christmas tradition: the 12 Pubs of Christmas. The concept? Celebrate Christmas and the end of the first student semester by visiting no fewer than 12 Irish pubs in the evening! It’s a busy schedule, but not one that necessarily rhymes with alcohol abuse, as many participants drink a pint or two before moving on to sodas and other softer drinks. (We recommend that you be reasonable and moderate).

The rules of the 12 Pubs of Christmas tradition

A mission for every Irish pub

The evening is punctuated by visits to 12 different pubs. But the principle doesn’t stop there. Participants will have to complete “tasks” or “missions” in each of the establishments they visit, to add a little extra spice…

The rules vary:

come with an ultra-kitch Christmas sweater,
present themselves with a cap at the counter,
order his drink while using a ridiculous, out-of-context word in your request (e.g. “smurf”),
only stay a certain amount of time in each Irish pub
sing a Christmas carol in front of everyone,
arm-wrestle with the person sitting next to him at the table,
…etc.

Every year, the rules change according to the inspiration of the evening’s organizers. The idea is above all to have a good time, in a convivial and magical Christmas atmosphere.

This tradition is becoming increasingly popular as the years go by, with more and more companies offering the 12 Irish pubs of Christmas to their employees. A fun and original way to strengthen the bonds between employees.

A few tips, however, if you decide to organize this type of event:

avoid going to every pub with 30 people: you risk being refused entry (pubs don’t like large groups),
choose an area with a good supply of Irish pubs to avoid long or illogical journeys,
prefer accessible, good-natured pledges,
drink moderately,
enjoy the moment!