The Feast Day of St. Brigid

Dear Diary,

February 1st is the feast day of St. Brigid and also the festival of Imbolc.  In the Celtic calendar it is the first day of spring, a time when the ewe's milk flows and lambs begin to be born.  I created a collage of all the St. Brigid images I have.  The metal cross I got when I first went to Ireland in 2007 and it hangs on my front door. The little blue ribbon is the one I tied to the porch door last night.  It is a tradition that Brigid visits each house on the night before February 1st to bless the cloth or ribbon.  It is then brought into the house to bring healing.  I think I need that especially this year.

There are also images I made at St. Brigid's Well in Kildare in 2014 and the little straw cross I wove myself of reeds that grow near my home here in Maine.  (February  1st is the day I remove the evergreen wreath from the door too.)  Today, children in Ireland will be weaving their own crosses.  I've always love the stories of Brigid, known for her great hospitality.  She is revered as a patron of Ireland right along with St. Patrick.

The festival of Imbolc reminds me that I will need to stop into my friends farm to see if any lambs have been born yet.  They are expecting upwards to 80 this year.  They will have their hands full for sure.  Our weather is taking a mild turn this week but we are not out of the winter woods quite yet.  Tomorrow, Mr. Groundhog will let us know how much more winter to expect but the wheel of the year is turning slowly and these special days remind us to stop and acknowledge those moments of transition.