| February 2, 2010 |
Imbolc (pronounced “IM-bulk” or “EM-bowlk”) has had a colorful and varied history — all related to the seasonal return of light and warmth at the end of Winter:
is based on one of the four main festivals of the pre-Christian Celtic calendar. They are believed to have originated in the cycles associated with hunting, farming, and animal fertility. The name Imbolc is derived from “I mbolg” in the Irish language, which means “in the belly.” This refers to “the onset of lactation of ewes, soon to give birth to the spring lambs.” 1 It was celebrated during the evening of JAN-31 each year, and associated with Brigid, (a.k.a. Brighid, Bride) an ancient Irish Goddess.
The Roman Catholic Church subsequently adopted it as St. Brigid’s Day. She was once the most important female saint in Ireland.
In recent times, it is celebrated annually by Wiccans and many other Neopagans as one of their eight seasonal days of celebration, called Sabbats. Four of these festivals are called major Sabbats and occur about halfway between an equinox and solstice. One of these, Imbolc, is observed near the end of January or in early February, roughly halfway between the Winter Solstice (about DEC-21) and the Spring Equinox (about MAR-21). In the southern hemisphere it is observed in early August.
In the U.S. and Canada, Imbolc has morphed into Groundhog Day. It seems to have been based on the ancient belief that Brigid’s snake emerges from the Earth on Imbolc to test the weather. 2 On FEB-02, a specially selected groundhog is carefully watched. If he emerges from its hibernation and sees his shadow, he will return underground and we can expect six more weeks of winter before the arrival of spring. If the day is cloudy, there will be no shadow. He will remain above ground, believing that Spring has arrived.
