Brigid of the Tuatha de Danaan, in Irish Celtic mythology, was known as a life-giving goddess, which is why the beginning of Spring with the birth of new lambs and the flowers beginning to bloom again, was associated with her. Brigid appears in texts from the 10 th century, but at some point, the story of the pagan Brigid seems to have merged with the Christian Brigid, who was actually born in 451 A.D. because the saint shares many of the goddess’s attributes, including wisdom, poetry, healing, and protection.

The process of making the cross is often a communal activity, with family members or neighbours coming together to craft the symbol. Design [ edit ] The arms of the cross are not parallel to one another, giving the impression of motion. Brigid's cross is typically woven on 1 February, her feast day, as well as the festival of Imbolc in pre-Christian Ireland. Hanging Brigid's cross from the rafters of one's house was believed to bring the blessing and protection of the saint for the remainder of the year. The practice of crafting Brigid's crosses declined in the 20th century, however, in part due to house renovations that made hanging them difficult. People weave crosses and display them on their doors and some of the older traditions are still observed. Many people believe that placing a St. Brigid’s Cross above the entrance of a home will protect the household from harm. The pagan festival was associated with the goddess Brigid, considered among the most powerful of the Celtic goddesses.

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Read More: 5 Inspirational Women Who Influenced the Politics and Culture of Ireland The Christian Origins of Saint Brigid’s Cross This holy sign is still used the same way it was all those years ago. Once woven, the cross is placed above the doorway of a home on the 1st of February to protect it from evil spirits, death, hunger, disease and fire. 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. Brigid’s Crosses were intricately woven from rushes and sometimes straw, consisting of a central square surrounded by four arms at right angles. The cross would adorn the doors and rafters of Irish homes, usually in the kitchen, warding off fire and evil. Brigid was a life-giving goddess

St.Brigid, also known as “Mary of the Gael”, is an abbess and patroness of Ireland. She is furthermorethe founder of the first Irish monastery in County Kildare, Ireland. Born in Dundalk in 450 AD, St Brigid is accredited with first creating the unique cross whichbears her name. This cross isnormally hand created from rushes however occasionally straw is also used. Brighid was the goddess of fire. She is associated with Spring, fertility, new life, and the protection of poets and healers. She has been celebrated on the first day of Spring which falls on the 1st of February for centuries, although the pagan name for this feast day celebration is Imbolc. Brigid’s Cross is a variation of the universal cross symbol that is mounted in all Irish homes every first day of February. This is a tradition that is practiced in honor of Saint Brigid and as protection against fire and evil spirits. You may be asking, how did the cross get it’s name? Brigid was one of Ireland’s three patron saints. Born in Dundalk in 450 AD, St. Brigid is said to have created the first unique cross which now bears her name. Additionally, she was an early Irish Christian nun, abbess and the founder of the Irish monastery in County Kildare. Browse beautiful St. Brigid’s Crosses at Blarney.com! St. Brigid’s DayIn addition, the day of celebration to mark Saint Brigid falls on the same feast day for the Celtic goddess Brigid: the traditional Gaelic festival of Imbolc.