st brigid's day, where's all the crosses?

RetroEncabulator

I don’t think we ever made them and I’m in my late 30s

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120197979#Comment_120197979

I think I only made them once in primary school in Dublin. I forget the year and if I made them any other times but I did make them once as I remember it well. Since I was a child I do not know who sourced the reeds. Like was it the school or was it the teacher herself who just wanted something fun for us kids to make. I do not know if the other classes in my year made them also. There was four classes of every year in my school with 35 students in each class.

Graces7

Drat. I forgot.Usually make them every year for friends . Tomorrow.. Used to sell them too

Mrs OBumble

I thought Brigid's day was moved to next Monday.

What else are we all going to do that day?

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120201428#Comment_120201428

God knows. Would have been much better to have a Bank holiday at a time of year when it was easier and nicer to do things outside. Would have been nicer to have a more modern, neutral sounding name for it than St. Brigid's day too.

Hotblack Desiato

They should make the first Monday in July and September public holidays. Would be great for domestic tourism.

Having the February public holiday (calling it after a "saint" who probably never existed is thick) on a Friday some years is just stupid. What's the point of that?

iniscealtra

@Conall Cernach @boardise It’s a prechristian tradition related to the swastica. Brigid was also a pre-Christian god as well as an early irish saint. Fertility, poetic inspiration and blacksmithing i think were the god’s fortee I believe. The saint was compassion, settling disputes with kings and fertility I believe. Also a good symbol of female leadership as women ran one of the most powerful monasteries in the country for a few hundred years. Anyway fair play to any teacher who goes out after work to cut enough rushes for twenty plus kids. A lot easier for teachers living in the countryside rather than in a village or town. I like the tradition myself. Go out and cut a few rushes your self and enjoy making them with the kids. The 4 legged one or the three legged one. Yesterday was the Full mion between the winter solstice and the spring equinox when the Celtic Festival of Imbolc would have been celebrated. Going to make a crosóg Bhríde myself today. It goes a long way back. Going to put it above the front door. @Hotblack Desiato I’m all for it as it has deep roots in Ireland.

iniscealtra

In Irish the saint is not mentioned in the day. Lá Fhéile Bhríde. Plenty people say Bridget’s day too in English. I never made them in school as far as i remember but I did make them at home with my mother as a child.

cj maxx

I always made them in primary school iirc. I think all bank holidays should be moved to good weather months . Sick of being out in snow and rain while orange men are out on the one day it NEVER rains 😡

Timfy

Just a couple of points to add to this thread...

There is no mention whatsoever in any "inclusion policy" issued by the Dept of Education or local Diocese that St. Bridget's Crosses, Nataraja, Islamic prayer mats or Swastikas (the good type!) must not be made at school. You may wish to bring this up with the individual teacher who sounds like he may be the anti-Burke

The bank holiday on 6th February is called the Imbolc bank holiday. Admittedly pinched by the Christians as a parking place for St Bridget's day, the festival of Imbolc predates it by millennia.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120207231#Comment_120207231

Was moving from a pre-christian god to a saint regarded as a promotion or demotion? It sounds like the kind of promotion in Europe ministers are given to get them out of the way. I would love to see the festival of Imbolc celebrated, this is one of our real traditions, not one of the ones imported from the middle east.

Wezz

Enoch Burke has a bit of time on his hands if you’re looking for a good god fearing teacher to poison your offspring.

iniscealtra

@HerrKuehn I’d say it was a way of intregrating an existing Festival into a new Religion in Ireland at the time. Done with lots of things. There is historical evidence for saint Brigid. That shouldn’t be overlooked. Abbess of Kildare who was quite an influential figure historically. Its interesting as appartantly all the abbess there after the first one took the name Brigid or were called Brigid. So it could be a title.

I wouldn’t be surpised to see a resurgence in Imbolc/ Brigid festivals now that the Bank holiday is there. Nice idea for a gathering of friends on the Bank holiday weekend anyway. The Full moon was very bright last night. Brighest I’ve seen in a long while.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120207247#Comment_120207247

So nothing but months of drudgery all winter with no days off, have you thought this through?

The Saturnalia / Solstice / Christmas / whatever you want to call it celebration was invented for a reason.

Hotblack Desiato

@Timfy Don't stress about it, the OP just made that "incident" up.

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120207267#Comment_120207267

Oh , I didn't know that. I didn't know about Imbolc. You learn something every day !

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120207496#Comment_120207496

Has that vibe of "they're taking our xxx" alright

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120189383#Comment_120189383

right - Brigid - then St. Brigid..

what does it matter..

the sentiments remains..

I really enjoyed celebrating last Wed and over the long weekend..

We all need a lot more positivity and humanity in our lives..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120210798#Comment_120210798

and making straw crosses is more positivity and humanity?

This is what sends me with religious folks. Talk all day long about how we need to be better, do more, help your fellow man (or woman) and the majority do sweet fcuk all then beyond that.

Not saying that’s you of course, but it’s striking to me that those who will preach about how god is great and we need to help the less fortunate yet as I say they don’t help anyone.

And of course the help is only forthcoming IF you’re not LGBT, divorced or some other affront to the floating man.

Exactly why I stepped away from organised religion in any form. It’s all hypocrisy.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211039#Comment_120211039

no - the celebration of all that they represent etc etc

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211039#Comment_120211039

I call BS on that.

VDP have pretty much the largest non-government help network in the country. If someone asks them for help, they don't ask who they like to fúck, are they divorced etc. They got some negative publicity a few years ago for funding a LGBT drop in centre- but they funded it.

As far as I can see, many of the people who actually volunteer to do things this country are religious of some flavour. They just don't tell you about it, because it's not relevant while they're volunteering.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212036#Comment_120212036

Okay so that’s one.

Any more or are you going to give me an exception and call it a rule?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212584#Comment_120212584

That one is literally thousands of people, nationwide.

Capuchin Day Centre. There's another one.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212036#Comment_120212036

VDP?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120213304#Comment_120213304

Vincent de Paul.

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/109305540#Comment_109305540

The Vedic symbol?

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120200861#Comment_120200861

Was Bridget a Christian?

iniscealtra

God Briget was not. Celtic deity of fertility etc.

https://westportlibrary.libguides.com/brigid

Saint Briget was. 5th century. Abbess of Kildare

@YFlyer

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212584#Comment_120212584

How would it even be possible to quantify a majority in the context of what people who are religious do or don’t do for others? It’s entirely subjective, in which your reason then that you see them do fcukall for anyone else, makes sense.

Not into the whole making crosses thing myself, but I can understand where the other poster was coming from - it’s just a creative endeavour is all, tradition, whatever, it doesn’t have to be grandiose gestures.

This though?

And of course the help is only forthcoming IF you’re not LGBT, divorced or some other affront to the floating man.

That’s just silly.

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214071#Comment_120214071

Thanks.

The article said they both shared similarities but don't mention wat they are.