Imbolg / Imbolc; Ireland’s creative celebration of spring, feasting i do bholg agus feminism.
“i mbolg” is Irish for in my belly, and ‘imbolg’ is the day of filling the belly with feasting! On February first, the celebration of imbolg / imbolc is an ode to spring's fresh arrival and to St Brigid, our patroness saint of poetry, fire and healing. On this day, the iconic crosses are hand-woven from straw, as are the dolls and ‘strawboys’ that would be paraded around the community. The craft of both humans and the seasons themselves is central to the spirit of St Brigid's day; sure, i mbolg can also connote the pregnancy of ewes to come, the season of lambing, emphasising the importance of lamb's milk for the country; as for instance, oí-melg, ewes' milk, could also be the name's genesis. So, it’s all about creation. But, is this Celtic, pagan, pre-Christian day still getting the celebration it deserves? Well, we do have a new bank holiday …but most people aren't aware of the great events and activities that reanimate this ode to spring each year, lost for centuries now. So, here are some ways to celebrate next year's Imbolg, tethering a straw link across to our ancestors.
There's a long list of events in Dublin each year for the bank holiday festivities. St Brigid can be described as Ireland’s original feminist, setting up monasteries all over Ireland with hospitals, farms and schools for women; she oversaw up to 15000 nuns and liberated women from roles of slaves or bondswomen. St Brigid was always a powerful advocate for women's rights and is historicized for her independent courage; she was a leader in a male-dominated space, with much of her teachings being unfortunately hijacked by the church afterwards. Thus, it is no surprise that Dublin commemorates the weekend with ‘Brigit: Dublin City celebrating women’ with the GPO being thematically illuminated, with music hosted in Abbey Church, imbolc fair’s crafting and churned butter, family activities in various museums, a February belly-filling feast in Whitestown Estate Dining Club and finally, the sprawling spring parade throughout the whole city. A possible rival parade is to be found in Kildare's Celtic Fire Festival, where St Brigid lived most of her life including busking, storytelling, costume competitions and fire performances.
Across the island there are countless other embodying, creative and communal events. You can literally enact what St Brigid's pilgrimage felt like in her own birthplace, Louth, with the 13 km route from the hill of Faughart to Dundalk with St Brigid's Mural. And at the hill in Louth, there is communal candlelit drumming and chanting. If chanting isn't quite your thing, then perhaps dancing with others during the Imbolc disco in Cork with Irish DJs, sing-alongs, games and astrology readings may be more attuned to you. Meanwhile Féile na mBan in Donegal, ‘Biddy day’ in Kerry and Brigid's garden in Galway really understand the historical creativity inherent to this day, with live music, poetry, knitting, crafting brídeóg dolls and art markets. There are innumerable other options across the whole island but as these should highlight, the variety of feasting, creativity and community is central to every Imbolc event.
In Ireland, Brigid once held the same prestigious popularity as Santa Claus, with children preparing food and her bed for her on Brigits Eve but in the 2020s, people have forgotten all the specialness of this one day. Ireland can be a dingy place during those winter months so I think we really do need to get involved in a celebration of Spring. It's truly a good day all about a saint who was “dedicated to goodness” and if you want good weather and the best spring ever then consider getting involved in some of the events or just feeling the spirit of imbolg next year.
Written by Ben Lynch @ben_lynch_
Edited by: Shaunamay Martin Bohan @f4wnfatale
