How to make a Brigid’s cross for Imbolc

Imbolc is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, or quarter days, that marks the beginning of Spring on the 1st February.¹ The other three are Bealtaine (marking the beginning of summer), Lughnasadh (marking the beginning of autumn or the harvest) and Samhain (marking the beginning of winter). Each quarter day falls between a solstice and an equinox.

Brigid, Brigit or Brig, is the name of an Irish pre-Christian deity, daughter of the Daghda, the Good God, and Mór-Ríoghain, the Great Queen. Imbolc is now referred to as St. Brigid’s Day and it is suggested that Saint Brigid is a Christianisation of the Irish deity.^2,3

A popular custom on Imbolc is the creation of Brigid’s crosses, which are woven from rushes or straw. There are many different types of designs for Brigid’s crosses, but one of the most popular is the four-armed swastika type, similar to many ancient cross and swastika designs that many scholars believe to symbolise the sun or fire.² The crosses are now used to decorate the house for good blessings.

Imbolc is the Gaelic marking of the beginning of spring, but it still feels as though winter has a firm grip on the landscape.

Small signs of spring?

Flowers that I have only just noticed are popping up in the grasses.

How to make a Brigid’s Cross

Gather some rushes, straw or other grasses for the cross.

Lay one stem straight and bend another in half around the first.

Rotate the two stems 90 degrees to the left. Wrap another stem in half around the last stem.

Continue rotating the cross 90 degrees at a time, bending another stem in half around the last on each rotation.

Pinching the last stem down tightly will help ensure the cross doesn’t fall apart before you are done.

You can make the cross as large or small as you want. This one has about three rounds completed. The arm of the last rush stem added was then tied off with another piece of rush to hold it together.

This Brigid’s cross has about five pieces of rush in each arm (five rounds). Each arm is then trimmed shorter and tied off with a piece of rush.

Sunset this Imbolc.

References