Almost everyone in Ireland is Christian, with the vast majority of those being Catholic. The second largest population is Protestant, although nearly 99% of protestants live in Northern Ireland, which belongs to the UK. When the UK was occupying Ireland, the northern states chose to give in to the cultural pressure, and convert, while the rest of the island chose to resist, as if in spite. Today, things are much less tense between the two Irelands, and the demographics are starting to change. For the most part, the Republic of Ireland is still dominantly Catholic, but it now contains much more Protestants, and members of other religions such as Judaism, Islam, and even some Buddhists.
We had the extreme pleasure of visiting Ireland during Christmastime, and I have never seen so many Christmas decorations! Every single shop, every single restaurant, every single department store, every single pub had decorations up. Yes, I mean it. Every single one. The Christmas cheer was also quite evident in the people there. In general, the Irish people seemed extremely nice to us all the time, and they seem to enjoy tourists visiting their country. One museum was even letting people in for free just because it was the day before Christmas.
It was almost sad to come back to America after being surrounded by people expressing the utmost politeness. When talking more with David, our chauffeur, he said that nobody really minded the religious connection, even those that weren't Christian. There were even Christmas decorations in a Chinese restaurant! The Chinese owners offered us free beverages, as it was Christmas day, and they were one of the only places open. We had walked a long ways from out hotel, and it was greatly appreciated. It is extremely unfortunate that Americans cannot fill themselves with the same kindness. One doesn't have to practice a religion in order to enjoy the spirit that comes with it. And yet there are those that claim red and green on their coffee cups is taking it too far.
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