Did you know that the Spring Festival of Imbolc has been celebrated in Ireland for over five thousand years? The astronomical mounds built some five thousand years ago by the almost mythical race of scientists and magicians known as the Tuatha Dé Danann were designed to measure and record the passage of the sun and the moon. The most well known examples are Newgrange, which heralds the Winter solstice, and Knowth which marks the Spring and Autumn equinoxes, while the Mound of the Hostages on the royal Hill of Tara, and Cairn L at Slieve na Calliagh are among those aligned with the sunrise on Imbolc and Samhain. Both Imbolc and Samhain are associated with the goddess Brigit, the daughter of the Dagda (the chief god of the Tuatha Dé) and the wife of Bres, with whom she had a son named Ruadán. Her sacred tree is the birch and she is the patron of wisdom, poetry, and healing. She is closely identified with Imbolc, and, while portrayed as a beautiful young woman who heralds the Spring; she has a second identity as the Cailleach, portrayed as an old hag whose feastday is Samhain (Halloween) and who heralds the Winter. Imbolc continued to be celebrated by the Milesian Gaels, on their arrival from Iberia during the Bronze Age. They spread the custom together with their language, to Alba (Scotland) and Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man). And so Imbolc became one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
The central European Celts, who came with the Iron Age were, likewise, quickly absorbed. And the legends regarding Brigit were so strong that the Christian evangelists, arriving some hundreds of years later, quickly adopted her as their first female saint and continue, to this day, to celebrate her at Imbolc!
So, whether you are Christian, Pagan or Other, we invite you to join us this Imbolc on Saturday 1 February from 2.30 pm to 5 pm in the cafe on the campus of the Anglo- American University, (Letenská 120/5, Praha 1 / close to Malostranka metro and tram stops) to continue the ancient tradition. Apart from the singing, dancing and recitations there will be a workshop on weaving the traditional Bridget's crosses from rushes (tradition required the cross to be hung on the wall for the following year as a protection from fire. So can get a discount from your insurance company if you have one!). See our Wild Geese website for the report on last year's celebrations https://www.wildgeese.cz
But c'mere, there's more! At 5.pm those of us into blood sports(!) will adjourn just up the road to The Three Fiddles Irish Bar on Nerudová 12 where a special room has been reserved to witness the battle of the year - the 6 Nations rugby encounter between Ireland and England. Safe conduct will be given to our English friends (until midnight anyway!). If you are interested in either or both events please reply directly to our email address - info@wildgeese.cz and we will reserve a space for you. (Wild Geese events are free of charge but you will be responsible for any food or snacks you consume) The Wild Geese Society of Czechia
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