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St Brigid’s Cross Incredible Meaning And History – Celtic And Catholic

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Widely believed to be a Christian symbol, Brigid’s Cross is tied to Brigid of the Tuatha de Danaan, which, in Irish Celtic Mythology, is known as a life-giving goddess.

It is woven out of rushes and sometimes straw on the feast of Imbolc to mark the beginning of spring.

If you have ever been to Ireland, you will spot them in all sorts of places. Gravestones, people’s homes, doorways and even in Catholic churches. 

Every year on February 1st, it is now a national holiday in Ireland. And throughout Ireland, the day is widely celebrated with a Bridigs cross. St Brigid’s Day (Gaelic: Lá Fhéile Bríde) is held on February 1st, about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It was previously celebrated by the Celts as Feast Day, which was formerly celebrated as a pagan festival (Imbolc) marking the beginning of spring.

Located above a shrine to her namesake goddess, Brigid, it was called the Church of the Oak. 

So what is the story behind St Brigid’s Cross? 

St Brigid's Cross Day 1st February 2021 All You Need To Know.

St Brigid, who was born in Dundalk in 450 AD, is accredited with creating the very first unique cross, which we know today is called “St Brigid’s Cross” 

You might just be wondering, “Why on earth do Irish people fashion a St. Brigid’s Cross of straw or rushes and place it inside the house over the door.?” Great question. 

Well, it is an age-old tale; I will tell it in the way that I understand. There was an old pagan Chieftain who lay delirious on his deathbed in Kildare (some people suggest that it was St Brigid’s father). The servants summoned St Brigid to help calm the chieftain down and to settle his soul. 

St Brigid is believed to have sat down on the bed next to the chieftain and picked up some straw from the ground. From there, she wove the straw into a cross. While Brigid was doing this, she explained the meaning of the cross to the chieftain. 

It is believed that her calm words did indeed calm the chieftain’s soul. In fact, the chieftain was so impressed by her explanation that he requested to be baptized as a Christian and shortly passed away peacefully. 

What does St Brigid’s cross mean? 

Widely believed to be a Christian symbol, Brigid’s Cross is tied to Brigid of the Tuatha de Danaan. Which, in Irish Celtic Mythology, is known as a life-giving goddess.

You can, if you prefer, make your own Brigid’s cross and many Irish and Irish Americans do this.

A St Brigid's Cross hanging on a white wall in an Irish home with a small window next to it.

A typical traditionally made St Brigid’s cross hanging in an Irish home.

On YouTube, there are hundreds(and I mean hundreds) of tutorials on how to make your own Brigid’s cross.

I have also read a few text-based tutorials on how to make a St Brigid’s cross, and they are pretty tuff to follow along with. For making things like this, I nearly always prefer a video tutorial that I can pause, rewind and watch again and again. I went through about 30 of them to find the easiest one to follow for you, and you can watch it below.  

This was the best tutorial on making a St Brigid’s Cross I have seen.  They show how to make St Brigid’s cross with palms. Very well demonstrated.

I might also add that compared to other tutorials, this version of the St Brigid’s cross looks a whole lot better than others.

Best of luck making this, and if you did follow along, be sure to let me know in the comments. Many Irish people get or give gifts of Brigid’s cross. 

Of course, you could always buy an authentic large St Brigid’s cross like this one on Amazon. 

Where do you hang Brigid’s cross?

Traditionally they are set over doorways and windows to protect the home from any kind of harm.

Some final notes on St Brigid’s Cross

To some extent, St Brigid’s cross has become one of the symbols of Ireland, along with the shamrock and the harp.

So don’t forget that just as Saint Patrick has his celebration day in March, St. Brigid is celebrated on the 1st of February. 

Thanks for reading, and if you are interested in learning about more Celtic Symbols, read the main article here.

Be sure to share this post and comment below if you have made or bought your own Brigid Cross. 

Stephen Palmer

P.S. Get your weekly dose of Irish straight to your inbox every Friday. Join here.

When is St Brigid’s Day 2024?

St Brigid’s Day officially runs on Thu, Feb 1, 2024. It is also now a national holiday in Ireland.

Who is St Brigid?

Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland (Irish: Naomh Bríd; Latin: Brigida; c. 451 – 525) is one of Ireland’s patron saints, along with Patrick and Columba

Where do you put a St Brigid’s cross?

You can hang it by the door, above the rafters or even on the wall next to the door. It is believed to protect the house from fire and evil. Don’t forget that every year a new St Brigid’s cross needs to be made.

What is the meaning of the Imbolc cross?

Imbolc represented a time of purification, renewal, and the awakening of the earth from its winter slumber.

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Deb Simpson

Sunday 14th of November 2021

I was in Ireland two weeks ago and our tour guide suggested buying a St. Brigid's Cross. I found one and brought it back home to Canada. My question is: can I only hang it up on February 1st or is it okay to hang it up now? I doubt I will be able to find reeds or straw to make another for next year as we will still have a lot of snow on the ground near February 1st.

Nikki

Wednesday 30th of June 2021

I'm writing an essay for college about artifacts of my culture, and I found this article and knew I had to write about it! I've always wanted to know more about Irish culture seeing as my grandmas maiden name is McGinnis and I've always been told I'm mostly Irish. Thanks for all the info

Irish Around The World

Friday 2nd of July 2021

Glad I could help Nikki :D

Brian

Wednesday 27th of January 2021

Excellent Article + Thank You Kindly for Sharing!!!

Irish Around The World

Wednesday 27th of January 2021

Thank you for the comment, Brian. Glad I could share.

Margaret Young

Sunday 23rd of February 2020

I’ll have e to use straw since there’s no Rushes around here.

Shirenna

Sunday 2nd of February 2020

I recently discovered I have Irish in my bloodline on February 1,2020 I was drawn to look up some symbols I’ve been seeing for the past week and I ran across the Brigid’s Cross to find out that the Ireland culture make these beautiful symbols on this day was amazing I’m definitely going to make this hand made and will do so every year after on February 1st☺️