Tomáseen Foley grew up in Ireland, and not that long ago. But the "Celtic Tiger" of today's EU didn't exist yet; Ireland was a quieter and more rustic place. And some of the Christmas traditions had been in place for hundreds of, if not a couple of thousand, years.
So Foley shared the stories of those December days many years ago, in a show of word and song called A Celtic Christmas. And it's on the road again this year, playing Redding on Tuesday and Medford on Thursday.
We bring some of the cast, a few musical instruments, and Tom Foley--a longtime Rogue Valley resident--into the studio for a chat about Christmas traditions in Ireland.
Oh, and more than a chat. This is called "A Penny for the Wren"...
Penny for the Wren