…and about that cow.
When I had a child at home, we did all kinds of things to prepare for holy days. Imbolc is especially nice for that. One of our favorites was making the Bride’s bed.
In some legends, Brigid walks the land on Imbolc eve with her little cow. They visit homesteads and bless the place and all its inhabitants. In an expression of hospitality, the homesteaders leave out a place for Bridey to rest, a snack for the road and something yummy for the wee cow.
We made ours out of a shoe box, with a soft towel for the mattress and a lacy hankie for the pillow. Another small piece of cloth was the blanket. We also left a shot glass of Irish whisky for Herself and a bowl of raw oatmeal for the little cow.
According to legend, Brigid will sometimes leave tiny footprints in the ash around the fireplace but we didn’t have a fireplace, so we took the missing whisky and oats as a sign that we were blessed by the Gold-Red Woman. And doubly blessed by the bounty represented by the little cow.
If you have littles, I highly recommend this as an Imbolc activity. And don’t be surprised if the Bride and her wee cow bless you, too.
You must be logged in to post a comment.