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The St Bridget's Day Cross

  • 01-02-2018 12:21pm
    #1
    Pixel Eater
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭


    It's St Bridget's Day, traditionally the first day of spring. The most common custom of today is obviously the making of St Bridget Day crosses, however how prevalent is this practice now?

    Do they still do it in schools? Is it still common in rural areas or is it yet another local tradition that has become the victim of multiculturalism and globalisation?


Comments

  • #2
    Fann Linn
    Registered Users Posts: 7,770 ✭✭✭Fann Linn


    Pixel Eater wrote: »
    It's St Bridget's Day, traditionally the first day of spring. The most common custom of today is obviously the making of St Bridget Day crosses, however how prevalent is this practice now?

    Do they still do it in schools? Is it still common in rural areas or is it yet another local tradition that has become the victim of multiculturalism and globalisation?

    I'm sure the grand daughter is making some now for her two grannies as she did last year in her NS.


  • #3
    Pixel Eater
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭Pixel Eater


    Fann Linn wrote: »
    I'm sure the grand daughter is making some now for her two grannies as she did last year in her NS.

    I'm glad to hear that! I asked my work colleague if his daughters would be making them at their school; and they weren't. They are in an Educate Together school and such things are deemed too religious I'm guessing.
    They don't even teach about Christmas he was saying; they water it down to some 'winter' themed malarkey.

    Despite it being a cross I would see it as more of a folk art tradition rather than anything overtly religious. It's part of our cultural heritage and a wonderful local custom.


  • #4
    beans
    Registered Users Posts: 1,885 ✭✭✭beans


    Our atheist home sports a Bridget's cross as a nod to our cultural roots, no contradictions there. It's one of my favourite items!

    I also have a small one fashioned from chocolate wrappers on my desk in work.

    I'd like to find time tonight to show my daughter how to construct one, for the day that's in it.


  • #5
    Pixel Eater
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭Pixel Eater


    beans wrote: »
    Our atheist home sports a Bridget's cross as a nod to our cultural roots, no contradictions there. It's one of my favourite items!

    I also have a small one fashioned from chocolate wrappers on my desk in work.

    I'd like to find time tonight to show my daughter how to construct one, for the day that's in it.


    Good man yourself. And I don't see any contradiction in that either.
    Must get one for the office myself.


  • #6
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,720 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    RTE seems to have dropped the use of stylised versions of it as their logo for quite some time.


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  • #7
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Pixel Eater wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that! I asked my work colleague if his daughters would be making them at their school; and they weren't. They are in an Educate Together school and such things are deemed too religious I'm guessing.
    They don't even teach about Christmas he was saying; they water it down to some 'winter' themed malarkey.

    Despite it being a cross I would see it as more of a folk art tradition rather than anything overtly religious. It's part of our cultural heritage and a wonderful local custom.

    We never used Education Together schools but as they are non-religious schools I wouldn't really expect them to teach religion in any form, including Christmas. I suppose its left to the parents, or their churches, to teach it. I think they are missing out but if the parents chose an Education Together school then that's what they'll get.


  • #8
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,024 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    We never used Education Together schools but as they are non-religious schools I wouldn't really expect them to teach religion in any form, including Christmas. I suppose its left to the parents, or their churches, to teach it. I think they are missing out but if the parents chose an Education Together school then that's what they'll get.
    Educate Together schools are not non-religious; they are multi-denominational. Students are selected without regard to faith or faith backround; they are taught about Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism (as well as Atheism, Agnosticism and Humanism).


  • #9
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,191 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    The C of I national school I attended always had us make St. Brigid's Crosses. You had to bring in rushes the day before.

    My kids now attend the same school, and it has been dropped. No coincidence that the local C of I clergy woman is a fairly evangelical Northern Ireland import, methinks.


  • #10
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    Sixth class in our local convent primary school (So Co Dublin, no teaching nuns left) has art on Thursdays and on the 1st Feb there was no mention of St. Bridget/her cross – instead the girls were set to painting their interpretation of Dali’s melting watch. The kid I know told me she did not know it was St. Bridget’s Day and was disappointed as the class had made crosses last year.


  • #11
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Peregrinus wrote: »
    Educate Together schools are not non-religious; they are multi-denominational. Students are selected without regard to faith or faith backround; they are taught about Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism (as well as Atheism, Agnosticism and Humanism).

    I understand what you say. I was told they don't have any religious teaching but that probably means Communion/Confirmation/Bible Stories in their classes. Teaching about all religions is of course a bit different.


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  • #12
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    The C of I national school I attended always had us make St. Brigid's Crosses. You had to bring in rushes the day before.

    My kids now attend the same school, and it has been dropped. No coincidence that the local C of I clergy woman is a fairly evangelical Northern Ireland import, methinks.

    Do you really think the clergywoman blocked the making of St. Brigid's Crosses? I suggest you ask the teacher why it was dropped. My daughter made St. Brigid's crosses in a CoI school.


  • #13
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,191 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    Do you really think the clergywoman blocked the making of St. Brigid's Crosses? I suggest you ask the teacher why it was dropped. My daughter made St. Brigid's crosses in a CoI school.

    Yes I do. Halloween was also ignored, other years the kids would make hats or masks or paper spiders etc in craft class for Halloween and there would be goodies of some sort , buns with spiderweb icing etc.
    This year they had to bring 2 euro for childline ( or some other children's charity) and were given a single portion box of whole-wheat cheerios to eat in class. Dry.
    I only heard about the setup when I questioned why the school bag was full of cheerios ....
    There was also a quick talk about the dangers of the occult and Ojai boards


  • #14
    Pixel Eater
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭Pixel Eater


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    We never used Education Together schools but as they are non-religious schools I wouldn't really expect them to teach religion in any form, including Christmas. I suppose its left to the parents, or their churches, to teach it. I think they are missing out but if the parents chose an Education Together school then that's what they'll get.


    Indeed but much of our culture, like it or not, is derived from religion to some degree; our national day is the celebration of a saint after all. However the link between the modern celebration and religion is quite vague.

    Also Educate Together is not entirely non-religious as they do teach about other faiths from around the world; therefore does it not seem slightly hypocritical to do this but then ignore certain other religious traditions, such as Christmas?


  • #15
    Pixel Eater
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭Pixel Eater


    There is a school of thought that multiculturalism is not necessarily a good thing as the native culture will become eroded so that the unique identity of a people/area will be diminished or even lost. Therefore the world, ironically, would become less diverse. I would see the Educate Together (or other schools) refusal to make St. Brigid Crosses for the fear of offending other religious groups as a small scale example of this.

    Making st. Brigid Day Crosses may be derived from religion but it's hardly the same as an overt religious initiation like confirmation or Bat Mitzvah. Rather than being seen as such it could be a shared cultural experience, bringing our ancient heritage to a new generation no matter their colour, creed or background.


  • #16
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    Yes I do. Halloween was also ignored, other years the kids would make hats or masks or paper spiders etc in craft class for Halloween and there would be goodies of some sort , buns with spiderweb icing etc.
    This year they had to bring 2 euro for childline ( or some other children's charity) and were given a single portion box of whole-wheat cheerios to eat in class. Dry.
    I only heard about the setup when I questioned why the school bag was full of cheerios ....
    There was also a quick talk about the dangers of the occult and Ojai boards

    Nekarsulm: For myself, I have no interest in Halloween at all and would be happy if it disappeared, but the Cheerios must have been a great disappointment to the kiddies, fruit would have been much better. Donations to Childline was a good idea though. I still think a question to the teacher would clarify the situation for you. However, it was explained to me by a teacher that if there are African children in a school then Halloween may frighten them as many Africans are frightened of evil spirits and some of their parents tend to avoid Halloweeny events. In fact some Africans won't even enter graveyards beside the churches they attend.
    Pixel Eater wrote: »
    Indeed but much of our culture, like it or not, is derived from religion to some degree; our national day is the celebration of a saint after all. However the link between the modern celebration and religion is quite vague.

    Also Educate Together is not entirely non-religious as they do teach about other faiths from around the world; therefore does it not seem slightly hypocritical to do this but then ignore certain other religious traditions, such as Christmas?

    Pixel Eater: I am a CoI Christian so I am not averse to Christianity or Christmas at all but I made the error of saying that ET schools are 'non-religious' and was corrected already.
    Pixel Eater wrote: »
    There is a school of thought that multiculturalism is not necessarily a good thing as the native culture will become eroded so that the unique identity of a people/area will be diminished or even lost. Therefore the world, ironically, would become less diverse. I would see the Educate Together (or other schools) refusal to make St. Brigid Crosses for the fear of offending other religious groups as a small scale example of this.

    Making st. Brigid Day Crosses may be derived from religion but it's hardly the same as an overt religious initiation like confirmation or Bat Mitzvah. Rather than being seen as such it could be a shared cultural experience, bringing our ancient heritage to a new generation no matter their colour, creed or background.

    Pixel Eater: I agree that the Irish traditional culture is in danger of becoming eroded and it should be protected, particularly as so many of our young people are becoming more Americanised every day, and not in a good way. I believe the making of St. Brigid's Crosses would be an interesting craft to teach though, like weaving, which my children did in a CoI primary school.

    I think that's my lot on this subject.


  • #17
    Pixel Eater
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭Pixel Eater


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    Nekarsulm: For myself, I have no interest in Halloween at all and would be happy if it disappeared


    Pixel Eater: I agree that the Irish traditional culture is in danger of becoming eroded and it should be protected, particularly as so many of our young people are becoming more Americanised every day, and not in a good way. I believe the making of St. Brigid's Crosses would be an interesting craft to teach though, like weaving, which my children did in a CoI primary school.

    I think we are very much in agreement about the ever increasing Americanization (I like to use the z for this word, for emphasis) of our culture. Except I don't understand your bugbear against Halloween? It's the one of the traditions we should reclaim.


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