My little fire of apple branches (pruned from my trees) burns merrily in honor of the Goddess Brighid's Day, or Saint Brigid's Day if you're Catholic. Brighid had an apple orchard, so I burn apple branches to honor her.I also make Oat bread to honor Saint Brigid. I put a piece of it, along with a bit of butter, on an outside windowsill for her. Tomorrow my family and I will eat the rest.
Strange? Well, not really, if you consider my grandmothers. My maternal grandmother was born in Northern Italy, then moved to Sicily when she was a teen, and then to America. But her great-grandmother told her how the family originally lived in Ireland, then moved to the Brittany region of France, then Italy, over the course of hundreds of years. So my maternal grandmother was a Celtic/Strega/Catholic. My paternal grandmother was Cherokee. The traditions of their ancestresses and ancestors were extremely important to both of them.
So I was raised Catholic, with all the various religious and spiritual beliefs of my grandmothers (and Oglala Sioux grandfather) mixed in with that. Perhaps a strange mixture to some, but not to me.
Anyway, happy Brighid's Day or Saint Brigid's Day!
All over the Internet Brigid's Day is being celebrated -- a lovely custom! I just came from The Village Witch's blog where she was making soda bread and talking about the fire.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely post and a treat for the senses.
ReplyDeleteOur fire was kindled with bits of apple, cherry, birch and maple, and it smelled wonderful. The bread of the day was Irish wholegrain soda bread, and we left a slice with butter and honey on the sill for Brigid. Happy Imbolc to you and yours!
and birch,
Thank you, Cate, and Happy Imbolc to you and yours also!
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