Fascinating article by @john_kilraine about the Journalist's Church, St Brides in Fleet St, probably founded by Irish in 7th century.

The church held its first ever service for its patron saint yesterday. David Mongey of the tourism body "Into Kildare" organised the service.

Mr Monget said his organisation is trying to extend the festival of St Brigid around the world.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0206/1353956-st-brides-church-london/

More on St Bride's and its history https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Bride%27s_Church

#LaFheileBride #StBrigidsDay

Fascinating article by @john_kilraine about the Journalist's Church, St Brides in Fleet St, probably founded by Irish in 7th century.

The church held its first ever service for its patron saint on #StBrigidsDay.
David Mongey of the tourism body "Into Kildare" organised the service.

Mr Monget said his organisation is trying to extend the festival of St Brigid around the world.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0206/1353956-st-brides-church-london/

More on St Bride's and its history https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Bride%27s_Church

#LaFheileBride

Féile na mBan is a brand-new festival celebrating women in art, history, literature, music and other spheres. It is taking place in #Bundoran, Co Donegal over the #StBrigidsDay Bank Holiday weekend. #LaFheileBride #FeileNamBan

https://rte.ie/news/ulster/2023/0204/1353720-feile-na-mban-donegal/ via
@rte

I see at least 2 FG politicians using the #LáFhéileBríde hashtag, and personally, I don't think that Brigid, as Saint or Goddess, would approve of people who voted with their EPP partners in Europe to allow refugees to drown in the Med, or or overseeing the highest rate of child homelessness and food poverty in the history of the Irish State.

The first-ever Irish number one single by a woman was Cilla Black's cover of 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' in March 1964, (in)famously stealing a march on the UK release of Dionne Warwick's original #LáFhéileBríde #StBrigidsDay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lAPyZVKH9Y

The first Irish woman to have an Irish number one was Eileen Reid in 1964, with The Cadets, on a cover of Jim Reeves' 'Fallen Star'. For lack of 'Fallen Star' online, here's her best-known song: 'I Gave My Wedding Dress Away' #LáFhéileBríde #StBrigidsDay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISYV4ahKpQU

Happy #Imbolc! Here in the Frontenac Arch, we are far from seeing any spring flowers. It will be weeks before our endangered Black Rat Snakes emerge from hibernation to mark the new season. However, there have been some beautiful frost flowers recently as we head toward a deep freeze polar vortex of -30C temperatures in the next few days. On these cold, wintry days we thank #Brigid for warming our hearth!

#LáFheileBríde #Druidry #WheelOfTheYear #biospherereserve #biodiversity #natureconnection #naturephotography #macrophotography #pagan #animism @animism

The first women of any nationality to be number one in Ireland on 1 February were Agnetha and Frida of ABBA in 1976 with 'Mamma Mia' #LáFhéileBríde #StBrigidsDay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfzfe8f9NI

(Níl an t-earrach ann anseo ach) Imbolc sona daoibh, a chairde!

May Brighid's light warm and inspire us all 🔥

#LáFhéileBríde #MastoDaoine

Chris Moore's daughter Leanne had her own Irish number one single, 'On Wings', in June 2008. This makes Chris and Leanne Moore so far the only mother and daughter to each have an Irish number one single #LáFhéileBríde #StBrigidsDay https://youtu.be/WFLkAUg43MU

...and our second (and most recent) Irish woman at number one on 1 February was Chris Moore from Limerick in 1993, with a posthumous chart-topper in aid of cancer research #LáFhéileBríde #StBrigidsDay https://irishnumberones.wordpress.com/2022/05/31/chris-moore-this-time-life-without-you/

Beannachtaí #LáFhéileBríde dhaoibh! #StBrigidsDay
Only two singles by Irish women have ever been number one in Ireland on 1 February. The first was in 1990 by an all-round trailblazing Irish woman... https://irishnumberones.wordpress.com/2022/04/23/sinead-oconnor-nothing-compares-2-u/

"Crios Bhríde mo chrios
Crios na gceithre cros
An té a thiocfas trí mo chrios
Go mba seacht fearr a bheas sé bliain ó inniu."

#LáFhéileBríde #Gaeilge #Ireland

https://www.molsceal.ie/toradh/alt/?CID=6227999853001&search=br%C3%ADde

EXT. SPRING HIDEOUT - #IMBOLC

So, February...what ya got?
-
#catsofmastodon 😽 💪 😎
#Imbolc2023 #LáFhéileBríde #BrigidsDay

Today is the first day of spring as we move from the dark winter days into the brighter and warmer days of spring.

Happy #LaFheileBride #StBrigidsDay #Earrach #Imbolc

Blessed Imbolc, everyone!

#Imbolc #Imbolc2023 #LáFhéileBríde #BrigidsDay

Happy #Imbolc / #LáFhéileBríde. Today we celebrate the start of spring in Ireland. It's an old celebration that goes back into prehistory in Ireland, and even the etymology and meaning of "Imbolc" is up for debate.

In Ireland's indigenous religion, it was a day to celebrate the goddess Brigid, daughter of the Dagda and god of fire, water, and poetry.

Early christians appropriated the goddess and her symbolism into an early Christian saint who is also called Brigid/Brigit, and it's hard to tell which of the 'christian' associations and traditions were originally indigenous also. For example, Brigid is now associated with women and feminism due to some of the saint's symbolism.

It is thought by some that Brigid may have been worshipped by a 'fire cult' who kept a holy flame burning, and that this may have been wholesale integrated into the church as a convent - there's little evidence for this, but Brigid's early association with fire makes it an attractive thought.

Although Brigid is associated with fire, and Imbolc is considered by some a 'fire festival', it's not as associated with bonfires or fireside revelry. It's more for candles and hearth-fires.

It is possible that Brigid was a seasonal god, and spent the winter months as the Cailleach, the hag-like goddess of winter who brings in Winter at Samhain. Both goddesses are honoured or worshipped at different times of year so perhaps Brigid's forms and nature changed throughout the year - maybe even also at the other two Fire Festivals (she had enough pseudonyms to support other aspects..). But it isn't known anymore for sure.

Among other traditions, people:

* Leave an extra place at supper the night before, or at dinner on the day (food included)
* Leave food out for Brigid or for the local Sídhe (can't hurt to err towards nutritious food for local wildlife, which usually happens to match the preferences of the Sídhe anyway)
* Leave a piece of fabric out on the night before Imbolc (because days began at nightfall in Celtdom) and keep it as a talisman.
* Make dollies of straw and 'Brigid's Crosses' of pulled rushes or straw (possibly originally 'seeds' rather than crosses, with shorter arms and intended for planting)
* Light candles
* Appreciate poetry
* Visit wells, particularly old holy wells with associated holy trees.
* Collect sacred well-water
* Stocktake around the household
* Break soil for the planting season

Lá 'le Bríde faoi mhaise - Happy Saint Brigid's Day - Happy Imbolc 💚
#imbolc #saintbrigid #mastodaoine #naomhbríd #irishsaint #saintbrigidsday #láfhéilebríde #brigidstatue #stbrigidscloak

'Stomp for Brigid. She Stomps for Us.' I made this a few years ago now, I don't even think this was made in lockdown fever, just a normal 'end of january' fever. Brigid came in the night to wake up the little seeds, fair play to her, calling an end to this most cursed january. Well done everyone, we made it. ❤️
#LáFhéileBríde #BrigidsDay

Ireland is celebrating #LáFhéileBríde the traditional start of #spring (the traditions in Ireland regarding seasons related to the amount of daylight.)
The Irish gov also decided to make a new bank holiday to celebrate this; although they have used "first Monday in Feb" rather that 1st Feb.

The spacing of bank holidays in Ireland is much nicer than in the UK. Ireland has bank holidays for Halloween and now one in Feb and 17th Mar.
Eng has to wait for Easter and none between Aug and Christmas.