St. Brigid is one of Ireland's patron saints, along with St. Patrick and St. Columba. According to oral tradition, St. Brigid was born in Faughart near Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.
Here is a Google Earth map showing Faughart and Dundalk (which are located in County Louth) in relation to Drogheda and all the other places Flat Niamh has visited in Counties Louth (Lú) and Meath (an Mhí). Note a new location: Monasterboice. Flat Niamh will be departing very soon to go and visit there.
St. Brigid is the patron saint of the following:
babies; blacksmiths; boatmen; cattle; chicken farmers; children whose parents are not married; children whose mothers are mistreated by the children's fathers; Clan Douglas; dairymaids; dairy workers; fugitives; infants; Ireland; Leinster, mariners; midwives; milk maids; nuns; poets; poor; poultry farmers; poultry raisers; printing presses; sailors; scholars; travellers; and watermen as well as creativity, scholars, poets, .holy wells, sacred flames, and healing.
Why is she a patron for so many things?
It is possible that St. Brigid is an amalgamation of three different pagan goddesses. There are certainly enough stories and traditions about Brigid to suggest that-in fact, far too many to relate here. We'll just post about a few.
St Brigid’s Day ( Lá Fhéile Bríde, the feast day of St. Brigid), is also Imbolc, an Irish festival marking the beginning of spring. It is celebrated on February 1 or 2 which falls halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere.
Imbolc was observed in Gaelic Ireland during the Middle Ages and is referenced in the Tochmarc Emire of the Ulster Cycle. Imbolc was one of the four cross-quarter days referred to in Irish mythology, the others being Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
Legend has it that Imbolc is the day the Cailleach (the hag of Gaelic tradition) gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter and that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. This sounds very similar to the American tradition regarding February 2: Groundhog Day. If Punxatawney Phil sees his shadow (due to sunny weather) it means six more weeks of winter.
Brigid's crosses are made on St. Brigid's Day. Though a Christian symbol, they possibly derive from the pagan sunwheel and are usually made from rushes or, less often, straw. It was believed that a Brigid's Cross protects the house from fire and evil.
Here is a link which gives instructions on how to make three different types of Brigid's Cross:
農曆新年
Chinese New Year!
2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit.
Here are Flat Charlie and Flat Stanlina at our Chinese New Year Feast. Niamh herself is born in the year of the Water Sheep.
Clara is born in the year of the Earth Rat.
Water Sheep, Earth Rat, Metal Dragon, and Earth Tiger............
Perhaps the Earth Rat knows about a New Year tradition we are not yet familiar with? Or she is developing an interest in dentistry.
We'll be taking Flat Charlie and Flat Stanlina with us to see the New Year Celebration in Chinatown down in Los Angeles.
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