History of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations:
In my studies of history and mythology I have come across something quite beautiful, there is a growing number of pagans, Wiccans, Celtic neopagans. It is just inspiring. What many have called myths or dead religions have been, in a way, reborn into new beliefs and celebrations of ancient traditions and growing in number. Many of you, especially if you are believers, may say that these beliefs never truly died, and you would be right, otherwise, how did they survive the past hundreds of thousands of years? What I mean to say is that, as an outsider looking in, I see it as something wonderful and just waiting to be explored.
I find it exciting and inviting to partake in these celebrations, albeit in my own small and personal way. I do not see this through the eyes of a historian or mythology enthusiast, but as a kind ear and (hopefully) a respectful voice that explains the history behind what was once for me considered things of the past.
– side note – I do not speak for the entire population of the groups of people mentioned above. This is just an explanation and exploration of the history and traditions. – I mean no disrespect – I am also aware that many pagans believe in many different things.
The Pagan Festivals
Now that nearly a month into the new year has passed it is time to celebrate the incoming of spring. For many Celtic neopagans the celebration of the end of winter comes in the form of Imbolc.
For those who do not know, there are eight main pagan, spiritual, witchy, Celtic, Wiccan festivals or holidays. Four of these eight traditions coincide with the four major solar events: the spring and fall equinox as well as the summer and winter solstice. The other four traditions fall into the in-between or halfway point of these four events.
Imbolc – February 1 – halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox
Ostara – spring equinox – Mid-spring
Beltane – May 1 – Halfway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice
Litha – Summer Solstice – midsummer
Lammas – August 1 – halfway between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox
Mabon – Autumn Equinox – Mid-autumn
Samhain – November 1 – Halfway between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice
Yule – Winter Solstice – Midwinter
Also, note that while I used these names for these holidays, some have several other names; For example, Lammas can also be called Lughnassadh
Imbolc Meaning
As mentioned above, this holiday is meant to signal the coming of spring. It lies halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Imbolc also corresponds to the milking season of ewe and sheep.
Imbolc is also known as Saint Brigid’s Day, which is the day of the saint who was once revered as a goddess, Brigid. This holiday is of Gaelic origins. Pagan Ireland, northern Scotland, and even the Isle of Mann are regions that are known for recognizing this holiday amongst the people. Recently however celebration and recognition of this holiday has spread to North America and anywhere Wiccans and neopagans chose to celebrate it.
Imbolc has many other names apart from ST. Brigid’s day as it was mentioned before. It is also called La fheile Bride (Irish), laa’I breeshey (Manx)
St Brigid of Kildare
St. Brigid of Kildare is the patron Saint of this festival. She was once revered as the ancient Celtic goddess Brigid. Her name is said to mean the exalted one and she is the goddess of childbirth and mothers, of fate and destiny, and of course the spring. In the old stories, she was the daughter of Dagda, a druidic father figure from the Tuatha De Danann. She was also the wife of Bres The half fomorian King of the Tuatha De Danann.
Brigid’s association with spring of course makes her a goddess of healing, poetry, growth and fertility. She is also known as a triple goddess, a unity of three distinct aspects, that come together as a single being. Her three incarnations are Brigid of spring, Brigid of healers, and Brigid of the smiths. According to the Book of Invasions, which is the book of poems and narratives that explains the origins of Ireland to the middle ages, Brigid was known not only as a goddess but as a guardian of domesticated animals. Having in her flock the king of sheep, the king of boars, and two oxen of radiant beauty.
Eventually, as Christianity spread throughout Europe, the goddess Brigid, like many other deities, went through a Christianization. Many of her more favorable attributes were kept and eventually, this goddess became remembered as a Saint. As a saint, she was admired and adored by many medieval monks of Ireland calling upon her as a sort of muse for their writings. The story of the Saint however was changed to fit a more Christian audience. Many stories say that she was born in the early 5th century in Kildare, Ireland, to a slave. Brigid was eventually recognized by her abilities in agriculture and eventually she founded a monastery in Kildare where she lived out the rest of her life.
The Holiday
The day reveres both the Saint and the Goddess. This of course, depends on the believer and on which aspect of her you follow or recognize. One key recognizable part of the celebration is the knotting of the cross of St Brigid which is made from stocks of wheat. Its unique appearance makes it instantly recognizable even by the most casual of observers.
While the origins of this tradition are murky. Many agree that the knitting of the cross of St. Brigid began with the Christian traditions of washing the stone, an effigy of the saint, in the ocean. The effigy is later dried surrounded by either candles or a bonfire. Her associations with spring, childbirth, and growth associated her much more with women than men. Even in Christian Europe, only women were allowed in the proximity of the fire of St Brigid.
A walk or pilgrimage to a well or body of spring water is also customary. These places become gatherings of people who leave offerings to the goddess and make the crosses for the saint. For many, it is a time of hope for what awaits them in the new year. Divination practices are used to predict the future. A spring cleaning is also customary to expel what has been accumulated during the winter and cleanse house, body, and soul.
Conclusion
Imbolc is a celebration of the home, hearth, and faith for a good spring. Look to the early signs of springtime and use this as an opportunity to clean yourself and your home. Pagans around the world light candles and hearth fires or even bonfires as part of a purification ritual. These fires represent the strengthening of the sun and the shifting between the long night to the long days of the coming spring and summer. Many who observe the holiday and visit holy wells would often leave some offerings be it in the form of coins, cloth, milk, or whatever they desire while praying and asking for good health in the presence of the sun.
Let us take the opportunity of this new year and reflect on our hopes and dreams for the coming seasons and light at least a candle in honor of the saint or goddess as we celebrate Imbolc in our special ways.
Sources:
Book: Imbolc: Rituals, Recipes, and Lore for Brigid’s Day
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Imbolc
Image of St Brigid:
https://www.monasteryicons.com/product/st-brigid-icon-396/irish-gifts-and-decor
Myths Reborn 