In Gaelic-speaking areas, this festival is known as La Feile Bride or “Bride’s Festival Day.” It is Brighid’s most important festival, and the beginning of the ritual year for the Children of Brighid.

Suggested Activities

Make a Brideog doll or dealbh Bride decorated with shells, crystals, ribbons, flowers and one especially nice shell or crystal over the doll’s heart known as the reul-iuil-Bride or “guiding star of Bride.” Put the doll in a leaba Bride or “bed of Bride” with a white wand or slachdan Bride representing the wand with which she ushers in the spring. Take the doll to the doorway, welcome Bride in, then bring her back in and set her up in a place of honor.

Make Brighid’s crosses. Hang some up and decorate Bride’s bed with others.

Make food for the Feis Bride, including items such as rolls, bannocks, porridge, potatoes, onions, bacon. Pile up buttered rolls, cheese and other appropriate foods around the Bride doll.

Hang the brat Bríde outside on a tree to be gathered up in the morning as a sacred piece of Brighid’s mantle with healing powers. Traditional brats are cloth – lengths of fabric or of handkitted or crocheted yarn, items of clothing, ribbons, etc. Some Brighid dedicants prefer to broaden the definition to include jewelry, blankets, key chains, and other items that can then be carried on the person or used for comfort.

Observe the traditional prohibition on all activities that involve turning wheels. (Like all the other suggestions, this is optional.)