The holidays aren’t over just yet. At least, not for everyone.
Jan. 6 is the twelfth day of Christmas and is known by many names including Epiphany, Little Christmas, and even Women’s Christmas. Women’s Christmas is an old Irish tradition but on Sunday the Ladies Beer League brought the tradition to Halifax.
“It’s shifting a little bit now, but traditionally women bear a lot of the burden planning for Christmas,” said Meg Steward, Chair of the league. “Gift buying, doing the cooking, cleaning, etcetera. So today, Women’s Christmas is meant to be a celebration of the women.”
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Dozens of women attended the event hosted by the Beer League. It was a chance to relax, be social and, of course, drink beer. In addition to all that, there was also a charitable component.
“We love to partner with really two types of organizations,” said Stewart. “Local breweries because we love beer, and also non profits who are working towards worthy causes.”
In the past, the group has worked with the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre and this time they chose Dignity Period. They asked women attending the event to bring feminine hygiene products to donate.
“Underprivileged women have so many needs that are expensive, that don’t even factor in for men: birth control, and feminine supplies you need to replenish that constantly,” said Stewart. “It’s not cheap so we just want to make sure that there’s a support in place for those who need.”
READ MORE: One-third of young Canadian women can’t afford menstrual products, report finds
Constance Macintosh attended the event with a friend and says it’s a great way to give back.
“It’s humiliating when women don’t have access to feminine hygiene products,” she said. “So this is about addressing that and giving them some basic dignity.”
While the event and Beer League focus on building a community for women, all events are inclusive, welcoming everyone, including men.
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