Musical families, rich families, farming families. Still, the now-abandoned family traditions remain as a collective memory, while, occasionally, new ones spring up. Daughter Number Four has just turned 10, and has begun to have opinions on what clothes she wants to wear. Even Daughter Number Four was slightly embarrassed by how much we got. And afterwards, as she always does at that time of the evening, Daughter Number Four asked: “Will you take down the Box Of Doom?” Happily, after three decades, some traditions have lasted.

Source: The Irish Times January 25, 2026 13:32 UTC