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St. Brigid’s Day, Feb. 1, marks start of Celtic Spring

Fire goddess feast spells end of long winter

MAIREID SULLIVAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 5:29 AM

Updated Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 5:59 AM

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Imbolc, also known as the Feast of Brigid, on February 1 celebrates the arrival of longer, warmer days and the early signs of spring.

It is one of the four major "fire" festivals (quarter days), referred to in Irish mythology from medieval Irish texts. The other three festivals on the old Irish calendar are Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.

The word Imbolc means literally "in the belly" in the Old Irish Neolithic language, referring to the pregnancy of ewes.

In ancient Irish mythology Brigid was a fire goddess. Nowadays her canonization is celebrated with a perpetual flame at her shrine in Kildare.

St. Brigid represents the Irish aspect of divine femininity in her role as patron of babies; blacksmiths; boatmen; cattle farmers; children whose parents are not married; children whose mothers are mistreated by the children's fathers; Clan Douglas; dairymaids; dairy workers; fugitives; infants; Ireland; Leinster, mariners; midwives; milk maids; nuns; poets; poor; poultry farmers; poultry raisers; printing presses; sailors; scholars; travelers; watermen.

One folk tradition that continues in both Christian and Pagan homes on St. Brigid's Day (or Imbolc) is that of the Brigid's Bed.

As Wikipedia points out, the girls and young, unmarried, women of the household or village create a corn dolly to represent Brigid, called the Brideog ("little Brigid" or "young Brigid"), adorning it with ribbons and baubles like shells or stones. They make a bed for the Brideog to lie in.

On St. Brigid's Eve (January 31), the girls and young women gather together in one house to stay up all night with the Brideog, and are later visited by all the young men of the community who must ask permission to enter the home, and then treat them and the corn dolly with respect.

Brigid is said to walk the earth on Imbolc eve. Before going to bed, each member of the household may leave a piece of clothing or strip of cloth outside for Brigid to bless. The head of the household will smother (or "smoor") the fire and rake the ashes smooth.

In the morning, they look for some kind of mark on the ashes, a sign that Brigid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes or strips of cloth are brought inside, and believed to now have powers of healing and protection.

On the following day, the girls carry the Brideog through the village or neighborhood, from house to house, where this representation of the saint/goddess is welcomed with great honor.

Adult women — those who are married or who run a household — stay home to welcome the Brigid procession, perhaps with an offering of coins or a snack. Since Brigid represents the light half of the year, and the power that will bring people from the dark season of winter into spring, her presence is very important at this time of year.

Neopagans of diverse traditions observe this holiday in a variety of ways. As forms of Neopaganism can be quite different and have very different origins, these representations can vary considerably despite the shared name.

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curranart | Feb 04, 2011, 05:35 AM EST

I agree with this big time "The schools are more interested in teaching the culture of the immigrant children rather than passing on what was once the rich Irish culture. Ireland is just like England now,(more like is England) in fact worse, it's a big nothing culturally. It's sad.

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curranart | Feb 04, 2011, 05:30 AM EST

St. Brigid's Day One folk tradition that continues in both Christian and Pagan homes on St. Brigid's Day (or Imbolc) is that of the Brigid's Bed. The girls and young, unmarried, women of the household or village create a corn dolly to represent Brigid, called the Brideog ("little Brigid" or "young Brigid"), adorning it with ribbons and baubles like shells or stones. They make a bed for the Brideog to lie in. On St. Brigid's Eve (January 31), the girls and young women gather together in one house to stay up all night with the Brideog, and are later visited by all the young men of the community who must ask permission to enter the home, and then treat them and the corn dolly with respect.[2][15] Brigid is said to walk the earth on Imbolc eve. Before going to bed, each member of the household may leave a piece of clothing or strip of cloth outside for Brigid to bless. The head of the household will smother (or "smoor") the fire and rake the ashes smooth. In the morning, they look for some kind of mark on the ashes, a sign that Brigid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes or strips of cloth are brought inside, and believed to now have powers of healing and protection.[2][15] On the following day, the girls carry the Brideog through the village or neighborhood, from house to house, where this representation of the Saint/Goddess is welcomed with great honor. Adult women — those who are married or who run a household — stay home to welcome the Brigid procession, perhaps with an offering of coins or a snack. Since Brigid represents the light half of the year, and the power that will bring people from the dark season of winter into spring, her presence is very important at this time of year.[2][15] Neopagan festival

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eiriamach | Feb 01, 2011, 07:15 PM EST

I just read on Diana Butler Bass' blog that Brigid is also the patron saint of beer makers because of a meditation she is believed to have written c. 500. First two lines: "I should like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings. I should like the angels of Heaven to be drinking it through time eternal. . . ." Lá Fhéile Bríd shona daoibh! Deoch beorach agus sláinte leis!

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McNabb1966 | Feb 01, 2011, 05:37 PM EST

Failte, a Bhrid! And thanks Maireid for posting the article.

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GeorgeDillon | Feb 01, 2011, 03:58 PM EST

Good article, Maireid. St Brigid is a very interesting figure, since she combines pagan and Christian elements. Sad to say the Irish today are forgetting their traditions--there used to be a whole lot of them connected with this day, really pretty ones. I happened to be with a group of young Irish people on Feb 1st a couple of years back. When I raised the topic of St Brigid, none of them had a clue about her. The young Irish are totally cut off from their cultural heritage. This should be handed down by the parents, but today's Irish parents are just as ignorant as their children. And the schools are more interested in teaching the culture of the immigrant children rather than passing on what was once the rich Irish culture. Ireland is just like England now, in fact worse, it's a big nothing culturally. It's sad.

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GeorgeDillon | Feb 01, 2011, 03:52 PM EST

Liamkeyes: You've got a few spelling errors there, I guess you learned that poem a long time ago. Good effort to remember it. As to Bridgbldr, the quote is from a poem called Cill Aodain, written by a man called Raifteirí in, I would think, the 1820s. I looked around the internet for a good translation to recommend, but what I found was full of errors. But I am sure there's a good English version out there somewhere. Liamkeyes version is good except for the line " I will put it into my head that my step will get stronger". That's quite wrong. The Irish says "Since I got it into my head I won't stop for a moment". And the Irish says "After St Bridget's Day", not "On the Feast of Saint Bridget".

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Bridgbldr | Feb 01, 2011, 02:46 PM EST

Liamkeyes, what is the source of that beautiful quote? It has special meaning for anyone who suffers from SAD. Thanks for posting it.

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killercain | Feb 01, 2011, 12:00 PM EST

I tuned out when she mentioned wiki...can't-think-for-self-or-check-reputable-sources-must-wiki-it-thingy

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Searlit | Feb 01, 2011, 11:14 AM EST

Happy St. Brigid's Day, to all!

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Searlit | Feb 01, 2011, 11:13 AM EST

How beautiful, Liamkeyes, and CitizenWhy.

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Liamkeyes | Feb 01, 2011, 10:37 AM EST

Anois teach an airig, Beigh an La dul sinead, Is tar eis na Feile Brid, Ardocaigh me mo Sheoil, O Cuir me in mo ceann e, Ni stoppaigh me caoiche, Is go seasaigh me aris in Lar Condae Muigheo. "Now the Spring time is coming, the dsys are getting longer. On the Feast of Saint Bridget, up my sail will go, I will put it into my head that my step will get stronger, 'Til I stand once again on the plains of Mayo(Raftery an Fhulie).

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CitizenWhy | Feb 01, 2011, 06:56 AM EST

The old goddess Brigit was the sun, not as the distant disk in the sky, but as the sun's rays as they enter the earth and rise up again to warm and animate all living things. In this sense Brigit was the mother goddess of all nature, the mother of life and the bride of the earth. In the Christian sense she represented a natural sense of God's imminence. ... Her father the comical Dagda had his magic pot that would always produce food and drink without end. But that pot is in only one location. While the abundance produced by Brigit, by nature, is everywhere.

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