{"id":6438,"date":"2026-02-01T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=6438"},"modified":"2026-02-01T18:00:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:00:05","slug":"festival-of-imbolc-st-bridgets-day-february-1st","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/festival-of-imbolc-st-bridgets-day-february-1st\/","title":{"rendered":"Festival of Imbolc, St. Bridget&#8217;s Day February 1st"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"4484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gilbert-whites-house_83-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gilbert-whites-house_83-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gilbert-whites-house_83-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gilbert-whites-house_83-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gilbert-whites-house_83-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gilbert-whites-house_83-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Snowdrops in late January 2024, Gilbert White&#8217;s House Selborne (Photo Kevin Flude)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Imbolc and St Bridget&#8217;s Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today is Imbolc, one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. It corresponds with St Bridget&#8217;s Day, which is a Christian festival for the Irish Saint, and is the eve of Candlemas. Bridget is the patron saint of all things to do with brides, marriage, fertility, and midwifery (amongst many other things, see below). And in Ireland, 2026 was the third <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishpost.com\/entertainment\/celebrations-planned-for-irelands-new-st-brigids-day-bank-holiday-this-weekend-246581\">St Bridget&#8217;s\/ Imbolc Day Bank Holiday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1012\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.16.19.png\" alt=\"St Bride,s Statue St Bride's Church. Fleet Street\" class=\"wp-image-2862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.16.19.png 1012w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.16.19-300x232.png 300w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.16.19-768x593.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">St Briget or St Bride&#8217;s Statue, St Bride&#8217;s Church. Fleet Street from K.Flude&#8217;s virtual tour on Imbolc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>St Bridget, aka Briddy or Bride, converted the Irish to Christianity along with St Patrick in the 5th Century AD.  Despite being a Christian, she appears to have taken on the attributes of a Celtic fertility Goddess.  Her name was Brigantia, and it is difficult to disentangle the real person from the myth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Brigantia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Archaeologists have found various Roman altars dedicated to Brigantia. The Brigantes tribe in the North are named after the Goddess (probably). They were on the front line against the invading Romans in the 1st Century AD, and led by Queen Cartimandua.\u00a0 The Queen tried to keep her tribe&#8217;s independence by cooperating with the Romans.  A  few years later, Boudica took the opposite strategy. But both women had executive power as leaders of their tribes. This suggests a very different attitude to woman to the misogyny of the Romans.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"594\" height=\"704\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.14.55.png\" alt=\"altar to Brigantia\" class=\"wp-image-2861\" style=\"width:561px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.14.55.png 594w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.14.55-253x300.png 253w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Altar to Brigantia from K Flude&#8217;s virtual tour on Imbolc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wells dedicated to St Bridget<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.14.43.png\" alt=\"St Bridget's Well Glastonbury\" class=\"wp-image-2860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.14.43.png 724w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-02-11.14.43-300x273.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">St Bridget&#8217;s Well, Glastonbury<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>St Bride is honoured by many wells dedicated to her. Often they are associated with rituals and dances concerned with fertility and healthy babies. And perhaps, the most famous, was near Fleet Street. This was Bridewell, which became the name of Henry VIII&#8217;s Palace, and later converted into an infamous prison. St Bride&#8217;s Church, built near to the Well, has long been a candidate as an early Christian Church.  Sadly, the post World War Two excavations found nothing to suggest an early Church. But, they did find an early well near the site of the later altar of the Church, and remains of a Roman building, possibly a mausoleum. Perhaps the Church may have been built on the site of an ancient, arguably holy, well.  However, this is  only a guess.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"394\" height=\"589\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2022-02-01-17.54.25.png\" alt=\"Steeple of St Brides Fleet Street\" class=\"wp-image-1472\" style=\"width:341px;height:510px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2022-02-01-17.54.25.png 394w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2022-02-01-17.54.25-201x300.png 201w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 394px) 100vw, 394px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Steeple of St Brides Fleet Street, photo K Flude<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The steeple of St Brides is the origin of the tiered Wedding Cake, which, in 1812, inspired a local baker to bake for his daughter&#8217;s wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>February signs of life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Imbolc and St Bridget&#8217;s Day are the time to celebrate the return of fertility to the earth as spring approaches. In my garden and my local park, the first snowdrops are out.  Below the bare earth, there is a frenzy of bulbs and seeds budding, and beginning to poke their shoots up above the earth, ready for the Spring. In the meadows, ewes are lactating, and the first lambs are being born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:57.65836%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=786&#038;ssl=1 786w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"733\" data-id=\"1469\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?attachment_id=1469\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022.jpg\" data-width=\"786\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:42.34164%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1554\" data-id=\"1470\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?attachment_id=1470\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg\" data-width=\"2231\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_02-1024x713.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1440\" data-id=\"1471\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?attachment_id=1471\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg\" data-width=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FEB_2022_04-1024x576.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Violets, bulbs, and my first Daffodil of the year. Hackney (2022), London by K Flude<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And let&#8217;s end with the <strong>Saint Brigid Hearth Keeper Prayer<\/strong> <em>Courtesy of SaintBrigids.org<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brigid of the Mantle, encompass us,<br>Lady of the Lambs, protect us,<br>Keeper of the Hearth, kindle us.<br>Beneath your mantle, gather us,<br>And restore us to memory.<br>Mothers of our mother, Foremothers strong.<br>Guide our hands in yours,<br>Remind us how to kindle the hearth.<br>To keep it bright, to preserve the flame.<br>Your hands upon ours, Our hands within yours,<br>To kindle the light, Both day and night.<br>The Mantle of Brigid about us,<br>The Memory of Brigid within us,<br>The Protection of Brigid keeping us<br>From harm, from ignorance, from heartlessness.<br>This day and night,<br>From dawn till dark, From dark till dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more about go to this webpage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholic.org\/saints\/saint.php?saint_id=453&amp;fbclid=IwAR1eN4KVwcJ-FNKzTLrLwIDBHBhvFu5mfY-jVGlmVmChiYGoIhKF1-COdeE\">St Bridget<\/a>.  T<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/february-1st-mary-musgroves-letter-in-anne-elliot-in-jane-austens-persuasion\/\">o read my post on Mary Musgrove&#8217;s Candlemas Letter in Jane Austen&#8217;s Persuasion<\/a> follow this link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Imbolc and Myths and Legends Walks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I give walks about Imbolc and other Celtic festivals, and at May Eve, the Solstices, Equinoxes,  Halloween and Christmas (when I have time).  You might like to attend these walks or virtual tours. The following are currently in my calendar.  I will be adding other walks to the calendar as the year progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Spring Equinox London Virtual Tour<\/strong> 7.30pm Fri 20th March26 To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/the-spring-equinox-virtual-walk-tickets-1976396286496\">book<\/a><br> <br><strong>The London Equinox and Solstice Walk<\/strong> 2:30pm Sat 21st March26 To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walks.com\/our-walks\/the-london-equinox-and-solstice-walk\/\">book<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more of my walks see the walks page of this blog here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/walks\">https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/walks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First published in 2023, revised and republished Feb 2024, 2025, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A post about Imbolc the celtic festival and St Bridget&#8217;s Day and the coming of Spring<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[112,146,11,116,113,119,430,115,4,375,18,14,15,322],"tags":[1368,1367,114,142,140,1363,1364,141],"class_list":["post-6438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-almanac-of-the-past","category-ancient-history","category-archaeology","category-calendar","category-celtic","category-christian-heritage","category-churches","category-folklore","category-london","category-mythology","category-prehistoric","category-roman","category-saxon","category-uk","tag-bridewell","tag-bridewll","tag-folklore","tag-holy-wells","tag-imbolc","tag-st-bride","tag-st-brides-fleet-street","tag-st-bridgets-day"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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