St. Brigid

Today is the first of February It is the feast of St. Brigid. She is the patron saint of the women of Ireland. In Ireland the first of February is also the first day of spring. St.Bridget was a  very powerful woman in the early Christian church. She lived a life of prayer and service to the poor.
It is a tradition in Ireland to make St. Brigid’s crosses

These are the rushes that we used to make the St. Brigid's cross. They came from Co. Mayo. Rushes usually grow on damp wet ground.

  We bent the rushes into  crosses. The first cross was made by St.Brigid when she went to visit a chieftain and the floor was covered by rushes

This is the finished cross. We hung it on the wall of our classroom.