As of last year, a great new national holiday in Ireland!
Brigit's Day on February first! Here's an article from the Irish Times in 2023 where they said:
"Our first St Brigid’s Day public holiday. Brigid, Brigit, Bridget, Bríd, Bridie: whatever we call her, she was some woman, and her day, Lá Fhéile Bríde, or Imbolc, on February 1st has long heralded renewal and the traditional start of spring in Ireland."
Imbolc, another term for this day, was to celebrate the earliest spring milk in the sheep...which in our area don't lamb for another month. But ancient ways cannot be ignored.
All of our first histories were oral history. Until someone started writing down the old stories. So earliest stories may differ from place to place.
Brigid was honored as a goddess first...of smithcraft, poetry and healing. The most miraculous events in her life were retold at this time yearly. She taught her skills to other women - midwifry, or metal working, or writing of poetry. She is noted for teaching people how to keen after losing a loved one. And she is noted as the person who first used whistles to send signals to mates during nighttime battles (I won't go into why she ended up in a battle.)
Once she asked the king for an area where she could build a nunnery, or maybe to raise her animals and crops. The king smiled (you know that kind of smile) and said that she could have all the area her cloak could cover. Like that was a gesture of good will!
But Brigid had a magical cloak, and when she threw it out over the green hills of Ireland, it covered the whole of the island (or at least as far as the eye can see.)
The Catholic church came into Ireland later (you've heard of St. Patrick?) and yet there soon was this wonderful Saint Brigid. Her good works seemed very similar to the goddess Brigid. There was a physical well where healing might take place. And an eternal fire that was tended by the followers of the Saint, only women allowed. The story was that they would tend the fire for 19 days, and then on the 20th Brigid herself would keep it burning. The original well still exists, and the place where fires were tended.
That the whole country of Ireland has made this a holiday speaks to the love of the Irish toward their historic goddess/Saint. And having February 1 as her holiday gives a good celebration that's needed in grey winter...though with a promise of spring.
Of course there are rituals associated with Brigid. Kindling a fire. Blessings with pure waters. Blessing of the candles (fire sources). Reading poetry. Tying little ribbons, clouties with wishes for healing on branches of trees at her well, or other trees. Putting your own mantle (or any fabric) across a bush the night before Brigid's day. Making tiny straw Brigid crosses or little effigies of her.
I'll be at a Brigid's ritual on next Sunday afternoon. Our earlier UU church service will also speak about Imbolc.
Brigid Dark and Bright
In the steep and common path of our calling,
Be it easy or uneasy to our flesh,
Be it dark or bright for us to follow,
May your perfect guidance be upon us.
Brigid of the Forge, be thou a shield to us!
Brigid of the Fold, be thou our shepherd and our healer!
In each secret thought our minds may weave, Brigid of the Loom, give us sweet clarity.
In our grief or pain or sadness,
Brigid of the Well, heal us, strengthen us, stand with your mighty shoulder near to ours.
And in our joys and in our bliss, Brigid of the Hearth, Keeper of the Bread plate, Maker of Beer,
Dance with us as we waken the great round garden of the world.
