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| Imbolc / Saint Brigid's Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also called | Lá Fhéile Bríde (Irish) Là Fhèill Brìghde (Scottish Gaelic) Laa'l Breeshey (Manx) |
| Observed by | Historically: Gaels Today: Irish people, Scottish people, Manx people, Modern Pagans |
| Type | Cultural, Christian (Roman Catholic, Anglican), Pagan (Celtic neopaganism, Wicca) |
| Significance | beginning of spring, feast day of Saint Brigid |
| Celebrations | feasting, making Brigid's crosses and Brídeógs, visiting holy wells, spring cleaning, church services |
| Date | 1 February (or 1 August for some Neopagans in the S. Hemisphere) |
| Related to | Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau, Candlemas, Groundhog Day |
Saint Brigid's Day / Imbolc or Imbolg (Irish pronunciation: [ə ˈmˠɔlˠəɡ]), also called Saint Brigid's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Bríde; Scottish Gaelic: Là Fhèill Brìghde; Manx: Laa'l Breeshey), is a Gaelic traditional festival on 1 February.[1] It marks the beginning of spring, and in Christianity, it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland's patroness saint. Historically, its many folk traditions were widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Imbolc falls about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox[2] and is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain.[3]
Imbolc is mentioned in early Irish literature, although less often than the other seasonal festivals. Historians suggest that Imbolc was originally a pre-Christian (or pagan) festival associated with the lambing season, the coming of spring, and possibly the goddess Brigid, proposing that the saint and her feast day might be Christianizations.[4] A feast of Saint Brigid was first mentioned in the Middle Ages, but its customs were not recorded in detail until the early modern era. In recent centuries, Brigid's crosses have been woven on St Brigid's Day and hung over doors and windows to protect against fire, illness, and evil. People also made a doll of Brigid (a Brídeóg), which was paraded around the community by girls, sometimes accompanied by 'strawboys'. Brigid was said to visit one's home on St Brigid's Eve. To receive her blessings, people would make a bed for Brigid, leave her food and drink, and set items of clothing outside for her to bless. Holy wells would be visited, a special meal would be had, and the day was traditionally linked with weather lore.
Although many of its traditions died out in the 20th century, it is still observed by some Christians as a religious holiday and by some non-Christians as a cultural one, and its customs have been revived in some places. Since the later 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed Imbolc as a religious holiday.[1][2] Since 2023, "Imbolc/St Brigid's Day" has been an annual public holiday in Ireland.[5]
- ^ a b Danaher 1972, p. 38
- ^ a b McNeill, F. Marian (1959, 1961) The Silver Bough, Vol. 1–4. William MacLellan, Glasgow; Vol. 2, pp. 11–42
- ^ Cunliffe, Barry (1997). The Ancient Celts. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Page 188-190.
- ^ Berger, Pamela (1985). The Goddess Obscured: Transformation of the Grain Protectress from Goddess to Saint. Boston: Beacon Press. pp. 70–73. ISBN 978-0-8070-6723-9.
- ^ "Government agrees Covid Recognition Payment and New Public Holiday". Government of Ireland. Department of the Taoiseach. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.