One of the pleasures of living is to learn something new about something a whole lot of people have known about practically forever. Imbolc and the Irish, for example.
The Irish celebrate Imbolc today (February 1). So much so that it has been declared a bona fide national holiday. And I’d barely ever heard of it.
Except for a regular email nod in honor of this and other annual Celtic occasions from a dear cousin who knows well about such things.
Imbolc – I’ve only recently learned – is an ancient festival celebrating the change of season from winter to spring. Or more accurately, it is the halfway mark between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
Which is a good thing to clarify as that change of season malarkey would not go down at all well with our neighbors who are still in the vise of winter’s frigid grip up North today.
It is a day that nudges us to connect more deeply with nature, as well as to embrace the old Celtic and Christian traditions in Ireland.
Imbolc is also one of four cross quarter day festivals that were spread between the winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox.
The other cross quarter days are Beltane (1 May), Lughnasadh (1 August) and Samhain (1 November) marking the beginning of the ancient Celtic New Year. (Linked in case you want to look them up, too.)
Ways to celebrate Imbolc (from https://www.letsgoireland.com/imbolc/)
- Fire and light are commonly associated with Imbolc so one of the most traditional ways to celebrate would be to mark the occasion of Imbolc with a fire or candles.
- Make your own doll out of straw, rushes, oats or equivalent is a creative way to mark the traditional celebration. There are different videos and tutorials available online that can help guide you on how to do this.
- It is also possible to create a small altar for Brigid with candles, perhaps a bowl of milk or some woolen items to symbolize the connection with sheep.
- Bake the traditional bread of Bannock, which was baked over the hearth and commonly eaten on the eve of Imbolc may be another appropriate way for you to mark the occasion.
- If you want to continue being creative, then you could also attempt to make a Saint Brigid’s Cross and hang it in your home. Instructions on how to make one of these traditional crosses are available here along with some other traditions.
- Both the Goddess Brigid and Saint Brigid have strong associations with healing, especially with water. A visit to a holy well or any available stream or river may be a suitable way for you to mark this occasion and be part of your own purifying ritual.
- If you happen to be on the island of Ireland around Imbolc, why not take part in one of the Imbolc events there such as the Biddy’s Day Festival or the Imbolc International Music Festival? Other festivities are held at other locations outside of Ireland as well, such as the Imbolc Festival at Marsden in West Yorkshire in England too. From: https://www.letsgoireland.com/imbolc/
Imbolc – like any national holiday worth its salt – also comes with an array of blessings. Handy any time of the year but especially lovely and hopeful on this day celebrating the crossroad between winter and spring.
There are many goodwill blessings for Imbolc as it is a time of joy, rebirth, reawakening and purifying. Here are a few examples:
May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day,
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way,
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that’s always blue,
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
May the blessings of light be on you,
Light without and light within,
May the blessed sunlight shine on you till it glows like a great peat fire.
And this homage to the only Irish female saint, Brigid.
St Brigid’s Blessing
May Brigid bless this house wherein you dwell
Bless every fireside every wall and door
Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof
Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy
Bless every foot that walks its portals through
May Brigid bless the house that shelters you
More Irish blessings can be found here.
There is so much to read and learn about Imbolc. So much that I couldn’t possibly do a deep dive here. But I will explore on my own and will likely also look more closely at those other cross quarter celebrations.
I quite like the meaning and traditions behind Imbolc as I understand them. Could be the start of my own annual rituals and tradition.
Expressive Compulsive 