Lá Fhéile Bríde -St Brigid's Day

St Brigids  Cross in the Rafters of Dan O' Hara's Cottage

  

St Brigid's Blessing by the Brigidine Sisters 

May Brigid bless the 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.

In Irish February is called Feabhra -it is also known as Mí na Gaoithe -the month of the wind or Mí na Féile Bríde -the Month of St Brigid's Festival. Apart from St Patrick no other Saint has more prominence that St Brigid. There are churches,convents and holy wells that are called after her. From the beginning she was associated with Kildare where she founded a convent. The pre-christian  festival of Imbolg and the goddess Brigit was adapted to become St Brgid's Day.

The festival of Imbolc marks the beginning of the farming year when the days started to get longer and warmer.'' Imbolc or "oi-melg" means "ewe's-milk" which is indicative of the lambing season, when the sheep are born, and is also the traditonal beginning of spring. It is then obvious that celebrations of animal fertility, of the flocks and herds as well as of humans would take place at this time. Milk was associated with this celebration and time of year as well. Originally ewe's milk was the milk of choice, but as cows replaced sheep as the primary domestic herd animal, cow's milk became the more significant.'' St Brigid's is associated with cattle and dairy workers. On the feast of St Brigid 'turning the sod' was an important ritual. Many farmers turned a sod or two in the tillage field and prayers were said.  An old saying said
'Gach 're lá go maith
 O'm lá amach
Agus leath mo lae féinigh'
(Every 2nd day fine from my day onwards and half of my own day)

As the shamrock is associated with St Patrick the symbol most associated with Brigid is St Brigid's Cross (Cros Bríde) Made from rushes or straw the lozenge shaped one were the most common but here are some some samples from E.Estyn Evans books showing similiar types of 'crosses' from other parts of Europe.

The Brigid's Cross was used as a symbol to invoke the protection of the household and farm animals and
to ensure abundance of general prosperity. It was believe that no evil could pass the charm which was hung over the door and the barn. In Co.Galway  the St Brigid's Cross was hung up up in the rafters of the house. According to tradition the rushes should be pulled not cut on St Brigid's Eve and the cross then fashioned from left to right in accordance with the sun.  There are many stories associated with St Brigid and the reason behind the making of the cross and other rituals associated with the day.

On the feast day it was believed the saint wandered the countryside on the eve of her feast day and bread was left on the doorsteps for her and sometimes a bed of rushes or straw was left beside the fire  In other places ribbon or a piece of cloth was left outside and was 'touched by Brigid' and then had curative powers.



Another tradition which has largely disappeared is the 'Brideog'
'' This was another symbol of St. Brigid, an effigy, also fashioned from straw, but dressed up as a doll might be. In later times, where the tradition survived, a doll was used. Whilst some communities were careful to make their Brideogs look attractive, others deliberately veered towards the grotesque. At the height of its popularity as a custom, the Brideog was carried from house to house by unmarried young women only, who presented the head of each household with a specially made St. Brigid's cross. Olive states that in her own county an unmarried maiden dressed up in white, and instead of carrying an effigy, represented the saint herself.'' Olive Sharkey covers many of these traditions in her book Old Days Old Ways.