Imbolc

The agricultural Celts celebrated the coming of the New Season with a great festival which reflected the returning vitality and fertility in the land. They called it "Imbolc" (or Imbolg) which means "in the belly" and stressed both the renewal and rebirth of the land. This festival was held around the 1st February, as the lengthening days began to be noticed, and was closely associated with the Celtic fertility goddess Brigit - a mother-goddess and protector of women in childbirth.

It was at this time, in certain parts of the Celtic world, that the first-born of the year was sacrificed to certain dark gods (for example, the Crom Cruach) and their blood was allowed to flow into the ground to restore it and to ensure ample crops for the forthcoming year. Great fires were also lit to add extra strength to the sun so that it could support the harvests across the forthcoming months.

Nothing should be thrown out of a Celtic household until Imbolc was past, otherwise "the luck" would be gone for the rest of the year. This was a common superstition in Ireland until within living memory.

[St. Brigid's day is celebrated on 1st February, on or near the feast of Imbolc 1-2nd February]

Where the festivals of local deities persisted, these became "pattern days" (the feasts of a particular local or "patron" saint). This, of course, was a way of bowing to localised belief whilst still maintaining some vestage of Christianity. It was the same with holy wells and certain holy shrines which had formerly been local pagan places. Up until very recent times, the tradition of local gods in the guise of saints, together with their ancient festivals in the form of holy days, persisted in many country areas - particularly in Ireland and in parts of Scotland and Cornwall.

extracted from the Appletree Press title: 'The Complete Guide to Celtic Mythology'.