Each year on February 1st, the people of Ireland come together to welcome the Irish patron saint of women - St. Brigid.
February 1st is a significant day for many in the Celtic calendar, marking the feast of Imbolc. The festival, which has been celebrated for over a thousand years, marks the start of Spring, welcoming in the return to light and the end of darkness, heralding in fresh hope and growth for the year ahead.
In Ireland, the day is celebrated with many still opting to leave a ‘Brat Bríde‘ (a scarf, ribbon, or piece of clothing) outside their door on the eve of St. Brigid’s Day, so that she may bless the item to allow it to serve as a healing talisman as she passes by during the evening. The day itself is then celebrated by making a ‘Brigid’s Cross’, typically woven on February 1st, and made from rushes, reeds, or straw. This cross is then hung above doors and windows to protect the home and those within from evil spirits and illness.
St. Brigid is known for her pioneering role as a female leader in a patriarchal society, as she broke traditional gender norms by founding monasteries, serving as an abbess, and wielding considerable spiritual and political influence. The life of St. Brigid symbolises female empowerment, autonomy, and leadership, as she is often celebrated for her advocacy for the poor, and for all women in our diversity. This compassion and need for women to empower women, is a vision for which Women’s Collective Ireland are driven by each and every single day.
So here’s to you all today, as we welcome in the Spring, fresh hope, and growth for the year ahead!
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