Honouring St Brigid February 2020
St. Brigid promised fine weather from her feast day onwards. Spring, the season of hope and new life, brought better weather, longer days. With it came new life on the farm and new growth on the land. On St. Brigid’s Eve, a festive meal of potatoes and butter was eaten and all of the family made special crosses in honour of the saint. They sought St. Brigid’s protection for the fertility of the household, farm and land and to safeguard them from illness and disease.
Sometimes a piece of white cloth or ribbon (Brat Bríde or Ribín Bríde) was left outside on the windowsill, hung on a branch or near the door for the night. It was believed it would be touched by St. Brigid on her travels and thus be endowed with the power to ward off illness and pain in both humans and animals. For the coming year, it was kept safely and used for healing, or incorporated into clothing so as to offer protection to the wearer.
We remember St Brigid on the 1st of February every year in prayer and song. However, as the 1st of February fell on a Saturday this year, Ms McManus's 3rd class prepared a prayer service which was held on Monday, 3rd of February to mark the feast day. Pupils get to make crosses from rushes as legend tells us St Brigid did. Fr Early, the school chaplain joined in the service and all the pupils sang a song for Brigid.
