02/01/2021
Happy St Brigid's Day. St Brigid's Day, which lands on 1 February each year and marks the first day of spring in the Gaelic calendar, and the beginning of the end of the cold, dark days of winter. Held midway between the Winter and Spring Equinox, St Brigid's Day predates Christianity and is believed to have celebrated the pagan goddess Brigid, and was also known as Imbolc, one of four Gaelic seasonal festivals, the other three being Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
The most famous St Brigid’s Day tradition is the making of the Saint Brigid's Cross, a unique cross made from fresh rushes or reeds which children are taught how to make in school. The crosses are hung in people's homes, where they are believed to bring good luck and prevent fire and hunger of those inside. The crosses hang for a year, until new Saint Brigid's Crosses are created the next year-- the old ones are then burned in the fire.
On the eve of Saint Brigid's Day, households across Ireland leave some clothing outside of their homes in the hope that it will be blessed by Saint Brigid. These items of clothing can include a cloak or shawl of some sort to reflect Brigid's miracle with the cloak in Kildare. It is said that the clothes which are left outside on Saint Brigid's Eve would then be imbued with healing powers, and should be wrapped around a sick or injured person or animal.