Imbolc – Around February 1st  marks the halfway point through the dark time of winter. 
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It is also the feast day of St. Brigid co-patron saint of Ireland. 
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The Triple Brigit
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Brigit appears on her feast day in her three traditional guises; as the muse of poetry she inspires the bards, as the patron of smith she encourages the achievement of craftsmanship; and as the healer she reveals knowledge of the medicinal properties of herbs. 
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As the main theme at this time of year was rebirth, it is not very surprising that the goddess Brigid had her feast day at this point. She was a goddess of the hearth fire, poetry, smith craft, healing and fertility. She rekindled the fire in the earth, preparing it for the reemergence of the living green plants. Fire of the Celts had many meanings. It was the source of heat and the central point of the home. It was a source of inspiration and divinations. It was also the power used in smith craft, for the fire heated the metal and made it soft enough to work. All of these things were in Brigid’s domain. In addition, she was a patron of fosterage. This was a Celtic custom whereby children would be raised by different adults in the community. In later times when the Christian Saint Brigid took on much of the goddess’s role, she was given the title of Foster Mother of Jesus. She kept many of the same attributes as the goddess Brigid. This early spring festival is also called “Brigid” or “Brigit”, as her association with the themes of the day was so important, her name became synonymous with celebration itself. Much that was done at this festival dealt with the early stages of life (plant, animal, and human) and how this new life was important to the overall domestic life of the tribe. 
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Taken from the book: “Ancient Celtic Festivals” by Clare Walker Leslie and Frank E. Gerace.
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