Lá Céadamh

I don’t celebrate the Irish Holidays quite like everyone else. So while the community was celebrating Imbolq or Lá Fhéile Bríde last month, I was patiently waiting for March 1st to roll around. And what a better way to celebrate that than a post dedicated to it?

As of January 2019 all individual posts about any holidays I celebrate are out of date and will be getting getting redone as soon as I can manage it with my health.

Like with the others, Lá Fhéile Bríde is one of several main holidays celebrated by the Early Irish. And according to Tairis, it:

Traditionally [...] is not just dedicated to Saint Brighid, but it also marks the beginning of spring and the beginning of the agricultural season. It also – historically – marked the time when the very earliest lambs would be born. And since cows and sheep were generally left to go dry over the winter season, it marked the return of an abundance of milk – or the anticipation of it at least.

Unfortunately Lá Fhéile Bríde (or Imbolq or Candlemas, as most are likely familiar with it as) is one of the major practices which have been co-opted by religions such as Wicca... Which ultimately makes historically accurate information a bit hard to find; even Tairis- one of my favorite resources- fails in this regard compared to the information it hosts on other holidays.

This issue is further exacerbated by the fact that the first written records of the holiday were put down by Christian Monks in roughly the 10th Century. The way in which it was written about, though, does suggest that the holiday had a history within Ireland even before its Christianization.

You can't even get an accurate answer on the etymology of it's more well known names; according to various linguistics, the etymology for Imbolq comes from several places, leading to a wide array of meanings. But it's considered to linguistically derive from words for "the pregnancy of ewes", "milk", and "ewe milk", to the act of "washing (cleansing) one's self", and more.

Regardless of its meaning, however, the date Imbolq was historically celebrated on correlated with several things- such as Lambing Season (Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia) and the blooming of Blackthorn (The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays). After Christianization, Imbolq (or Lá Fhéile Bríde) became associated with the celebration of Saint Brighid and was followed with Lá Fhéile Muire na gCoinneal (or the Feast day of Mary of the Candles) the day afterwards.

Candles did play an important role in Imbolq's original celebrations, though; according to Nora Chadwick in The Celts, candles or bonfires were both lit on the holiday in order to symbolize the return of the Sun and the warmth it brought. This is roughly corroborated by the works of F. Marian McNeill in The Silver Bough- and by Kevin Danaher in The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs- who add that celebrations also included Divination for Omens, hearthfires within the home, and the preparation of "special foods".

The Year in Ireland further adds that visiting Sacred Wells was also a custom, where one would leave offerings and pray for healing. Water would then be taken from the wells and used in Blessings for the health of the House and Household, Livestock, and Fields for the coming year. Donald Mackenzie, in his book Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend, adds that Offerings were also made to Earth and Sea on this day- though it's unclear if this was strictly a Scottish custom, or if the Irish also participated.

Perhaps one of the most recognizable customs, however, is the weaving of the Brighid's Cross- a small 4 armed cross often made from Rushes. This cross was then blessed and hung above the doorway of the house (or on the Chimney), at which point a prayer was said to ask for Brighid's Blessing. And despite lacking in information concerning this holiday, Tairis does provide instructions on how to make this cross- as well as instructions on how to make the equally customary Dealbh Brìde doll, and several other suggestions for its celebration.

Knowing what I do about the holiday, I've opted to transfer it into my practice under the name Lá Céadamh; if everything's right, it should literally just mean "First Day". Nothing fancy about it.

I've likewise opted to switch the focus from fertility and the coming of Spring to something to do with water. This is largely because Water- one of the three main elements in Irish lore and practice- rarely gets much love when it comes to the holidays. However, it is also because Spring is the rainy season where I live.

February- the month in which the holiday traditionally takes place- marks the precursor to Tornado season and the violent Thunder Storms that shake Oklahoma until roughly June. March, though, often symbolizes its semi-official start, with the more official start of Tornado season coming later in the month towards April.

Despite being destructive, this rainy season is integral to our survival here since the rains replenish our groundwater supplies. Without it, Oklahoma simply doesn't have enough water to survive. That means lower crop yield, higher hay prices for farmers, supply shortages for Livestock, and (if conditions are bad enough) large dust storms which can cause further problems. These aquifers that provide the state water also provide us with many natural Springs.

Likewise, the rain ensures that our State's many lakes, creeks, and rivers remain full- two of which (Lakes and Rivers) are integral to Oklahoma's tourist economy. It stands to reason then, to me, that the historical emphasis on Wells and Sacred Water sites be highlighted in my own modern rendition of the holiday- with the focus on the Sun, fertility, and growth taking a back seat to that which actually provides that for us here.

When it comes to the creation of the Brighid's Cross, too, a few changes will be made. Without the ability to actually get the materials to make a physical one, I'll likely paint a picture of one to hang over the doorway instead. This will be swapped out with a new painting next year- and every year afterwards. That being said, not much else about the holiday changes; overall, with what little information we can glean about the holiday I'm not one to be too picky about what I incorporate.

This, of course, is my own personal way of celebrating the holidays in the best way that I am able. You may feel free to draw inspiration from it or completely disagree with it if you wish (and I do welcome discussion and critique of it).