Saint Brigid’s Day (Imbolc) in Ireland
Celebrating the matron saint of Ireland
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Not much is known about Saint Brigid, a woman who became the patroness saint of Ireland. Her origins are obscure but it is on record that she was born near Dundalk in County Louth and that she died in Kildare on 1st February 525 AD. Saint Brigid’s Day is celebrated every year on 1st February.
Brigid founded an abbey in County Kildare and according to some sources her name derives from a Celtic goddess of fire. It has been reported that Brigid performed a number of miracles like materialising food out of nowhere, a skill that I personally think would be very useful in the current cost of living crisis!
Each year on the first of February she is celebrated in Ireland, in conjunction with the first day of spring, called Imbolc, according to the Celtic calendar.
Imbolc means “in the belly of the mother” or “in the belly of mother earth” to signify the mid point between winter solstice and spring equinox, also marking the time when you can start sowing seeds for harvesting later in the year and the start of the lambing season.
Since 2023 Saint Brigid has a dedicated bank holiday in Ireland (following a petition started by Herstory) but, as bank holidays are normally on a Monday, the exact date of the public holiday can be a few days late. For example, in 2025 we are celebrating Brigid’s Day in Ireland on Monday 3rd February.
Brigid’s Day
How is this public holiday celebrated in Ireland? The day can be marked with festivals, events, talks and workshops, and even Irish communities around the world are encouraged to celebrate it, although it is not a holiday outside of Ireland. Themes for the celebrations are centred around Irish traditions, women, food and crafts.
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In the Kerry area the tradition of the Biddy, or travelling entertainers that appear on the first of February, has been kept for years. Celebrating Brigid and Imbolc, groups of people sing and dance going from place to place.
Events on Brigid’s Day can also include crafting workshops where people learn how to make things from scratch such as butter and scones or straw hats and willow baskets, but also skills like blacksmithing because Brigid was not only a saint but also an expert blacksmith.
Probably the most popular craft and something that is accessible to anyone from children to the elderly is making a Brigid’s cross using rushes. You can find plenty of rushes in boglands but if you don’t live near wetlands you can use straw. There are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube and this is an example of tutorials I have used to make my own Brigid’s cross:
Once you have assembled your Brigid’s cross you can hang it by a door for good luck and protection. According to Celtic traditions Brigid’s crosses would hang in kitchens to ward off the danger of fires and evil spirits.
I have been celebrating Imbolc/Brigid’s Day for the past five years by sowing a few seeds in the hope of growing some nice vegetables during spring and summer. Let’s say the intentions were good but the results leave a lot to be desired!
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Imbolc has made it's way to the US but over here it focuses more on the witchy aspects and the connection to Brigid is lost.