A Pagan Family Holiday Celebration: Imbolc

Imbolc, celebrated on or around February 2nd, comes from an ancient Celtic season that marked the transition from Winter to Spring. Winter was a particularly frightening time for our Northern European Pagan ancestors, as survival was not always easy. Running low on fire wood or food stores, one viral illness coming into the house, or a bad storm destroying the roof, could mean the wiping out of an entire family in one season. In fact, babies born in the Winter time were often not even named until Spring because their chances of survival were so low, and a common sentiment offered to a family after a Winter birth was, "Don't get too attached to it yet."

Imbolc was observed for several reasons in different Northern European cultures. From the Gaelic "in the belly," also known as "Oimelc" for "Ewes Milk," it brought hope that the Winter was almost over. The time of lambing meant that Spring was around the corner, and it brought milk, a new food source to help families pull through.

Imbolc is also known as the "Feast of Waxing Light." As the days had grown longer since the Winter Solstice and the land was beginning to thaw, it was a time when people would look for signs for the end of Winter. They would look for small creatures that would hibernate to begin coming out of their homes, which gave roots to our modern secular holiday, Groundhog's Day, also celebrated on February 2nd.

Another name for Imbolc is "Brigit" or "Brighid," because it was celebrated as a feast of the popular Celtic Goddess, Brigid, who ruled over the sacred fires (such as the hearth), poetry, healing, smith crafting and childbirth. Even the spread of Christianity throughout Northern Europe could quash the worship of Brigid, so she was Christianized as "Saint Brigid" by the Catholic Church.

Based on the reason and the meaning of the season, there are a lot of great activities for Pagan families to do together on this Sabbat. Here are a few suggestions:

Light the Lights

Because it is primarily a celebration of the returning light, burn lanterns, candles, and even your house lights on Imbolc, all at the same time. Take a few minutes and send all the children to light every light in the house. Then cheer and celebrate for a while with a song or a dance, and turn most of them off again.

Make a St. Brigid's Cross

St. Brigid's Crosses are great Imbolc decorations, and are made by intertwining pieces of straw, dried wheat or reeds. If you don't have these things, simply use pipe cleaners. Instructions for building a St. Brigid's Cross can be found here.

Make Dairy Recipes

Since the lambing and coming of the milk was such a sign of hope and joy, honor this by making dairy dishes for your Imbolc feast. Make custards, or Tres Leche (three milk) cake, or foods in cream sauces and cheese.

Enjoy Poetry

Brigid was Goddess of all sacred fires, including the fire of inspiration- she ruled over poetry. Take some time to honor Brigid by holding a family poetry reading, either of some of your favorite works, or by writing your own.

Look for Animal Tracks

If you live near a natural area, go on a hike and look for tracks of small animals in the snow. See if their activity indicates that the Winter will be ending shortly. For instructions for making a St. Brigid's Cross, click here.

Make Symbols in the Snow

If there is snow lying on the ground where you live, draw sun symbols in the snow with sticks. Draw names of Sun Gods in the clean, blank white slate, and make images of the burning sun to invoke Spring.

Make a Snow Candle

Take a stick and make a hole in the snow approximately three to six inches deep, but not more than an inch or two wide. Hold a length of wick going down the center of the hole. Pour melted candle wax into it. The candle wax will melt some snow, but set almost immediately, retaining a unique shape. Leave it there for a few minutes to set. Take it and light it on your family altar.

Start your Spring Cleaning

Imbolc is the beginning of the Spring, and is associated with purification and cleansing in attempts to wash away the last vestiges of Winter. Start your Spring cleaning to shake away the Winter doldrums.

Use Snow to Purify Yourself

In the morning, go out and gather a good pot full of snow. Put it on the heart or over the stove to melt. Let everyone share the water to wash their hands and face, or pour a bit into each person's bath. Take the melted snow and an aspergil (an item to dip in it and then shake for sprinkling, such as an evergreen or rosemary branch). Sprinkle your home to purify it and purge it of the Winter.

Make Soap

Once again, being a time of purification and cleansing, a great craft and gift for Imbolc is home-made herbal soaps. If you've never made soap before, you can just grate and melt down regular bars of soap, like Ivory, mix in some essential oils or ground herbs, and then pour them into small molds, like empty tuna tins, to harden (make sure you grease the tins with petroleum jelly for easy removal).

Imbolc is one of the four major Sabbats of the year for Pagans, so if you are raising Pagan children, take the opportunity to mark this sacred occasion, instill the importance of the meaning of the holiday, and start some family traditions that can be passed down to the generations. More information on Imbolc can be found at Wheel of the Year; Imbolc .