For many people, the holiday season tends to die down once New Year’s Day has come and gone. Still, there are millions of people around the world who look forward to another important celebration at the start of February: Imbolc. This festival, which falls between the approaching spring equinox and the recently passed winter solstice, is a celebration centering on the final days of winter and the slow approach of the spring. For Celtic pagans, this festival is also about the fertility goddess Brigid and showing her proper respect.
Whether you’ve celebrated Imbolc before or you’re looking for something new to partake in during the dead of winter, there are many ways to join in the festivities. Explore these ideas and learn how to welcome the spring while trapped in the chill of the season.
Create an Altar
Altars are an important aspect of the lives of most pagans. Throughout the year, people who follow various pagan practices will update and refresh their altars to meet the needs of the season. It comes as no surprise that Imbolc is an important celebration involving altar preparation. Typically, an altar will contain important items related to worship, as well as a host of things like cloths, candles, and more. For Imbolc, take some specific steps to ensure your altar matches the general reason for the celebration of this holiday.
The typical Imbolc altar will have a cloth cover in shades of red, green, or white. Symbolic representations of Brigid are also appropriate for the altar, as she is the primary focus of many people who celebrate. Brigid often represents fire, which means lighting a candle on your altar is a simple and efficient way of showing your respect. Finally, placing bulbs of commonplace spring plants around the altar is a way of paying heed to the coming spring and hoping for a speedy return to warmer days. Use the altar as décor or as a place to pray.
Try Purifying Rituals
Almost all festivals welcoming the spring involve a purification ritual of some kind or another. Imbolc is no exception, and most pagans take part in various cleansing rites to help encourage new beginnings and fresh starts in the coming season. One simple way of partaking in this type of ritual is by focusing your attention on purifying your home. Birch, a plant associated with Brigid, is a great tool for these rituals. Simply light a birch branch and spread the smoke throughout your home to clear it of bad energies related to the past.
Incense and essential oils can also be useful for cleansing your home and your body of bad vibes as you await the season of renewal. Some scents that are connected with Imbolc include peppermint, sage, and cinnamon. If you have a bathtub in your home, take a relaxing bath with a few drops of one of these essential oils. Soaking in water that has been freshened in this way is a fantastic tactic for purifying your body while also clearing your mind of any lingering bad thoughts.
Eat and Enjoy the Day
What’s a holiday without a good meal? During Imbolc, it is common for pagans to create meals out of the bounty of the season. Root vegetables are a great choice because they grow throughout the season and are usually abundant in the winter. Make a hearty soup or stew out of these pieces of produce, and you’ll find yourself getting into the spirit of the season while simultaneously enjoying a delicious meal.
Imbolc is an opportunity to look forward to the return of spring while still stuck in the thick of the colder months. Find the perfect way to celebrate this festival in your life, and find comfort in the fact that the spring will return before long.