So excited about giving them as Xmas presents! I ducked beneath a mesh of naked limbs where I found the solitary Wild Service Tree. Used widely in pattern weaving and Celtic cross making specifically the St Brigid Cross. If, for any reason, you cannot get hold of rushes, you can use reeds instead, or even straw. A Brigid's cross usually consists of rushes woven into a four-armed equilateral cross, although three-armed crosses have also been recorded. The rushes were green and on good condition. Catkins dangled from hazels, gorse bushes boasted yellow flowers and straw coloured bracken faltered beneath the holly. The crosses are traditionally made in Ireland on St Brigid's feast day, 1 February, which was formerly celebrated as a pagan festival marking the beginning of spring. Please try again. I threw a stone and watched it skate over the surface, then pitched a second, with more force than the first. This cross is normally hand created from rushes however occasionally straw is also used. This is one of the most widespread Irish customs associated with her. I turned back towards the forbidden pond, climbed over the gate, seized a bunch of sponge filled rushes and chopped them at the base. A Victorian Reservoir, once the source of water for Netley’s Royal Victoria Hospital, the largest military hospital ever built, lies on the fringe of the oak copse. (?) Before drinking it Brigid picked up a rush and immersing it in the milk, made the sign of the Cross with it. Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2019. Many rituals are associ… I wandered along the hedgerow, hoping to see tell-tale tufts of rush. Unable to add item to List. Brigid's crosses are associated with Brigid of Kildare, one of the patron saints of Ireland. Often, St. Brigid’s Cross consists of rushes or straws. Find answers in product info, Q&As, reviews. Traditionally, the cross is made from rushes, wheat stalks, or other natural grasses. Autumn’s yellow and gold gone, now a dull sticky brownish grey carpet. It has been soaked in warm water for approximately two hours to make it pliable enough to work with. That morning, I’d felt an urge to make a cross, the way the nuns taught me when I was growing up in Ireland – a St Brigid’s cross made from rushes. St.Brigid, also known as Mary of the Gael, is an abbess and patroness of Ireland. Wild Goose Studio Journey Cross Bronze Coated Resin Plaque Pre-Drilled Made in Ireland. I made 1 large Brigid cross & 10 half size from a single order of rushes. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Woven by her from the green rushes that formed the ‘carpet’ on the floor of a chieftain’s house as he lay dying, she explained the life and death of Jesus. If these are dry and brittle, make sure to soak them for a couple of hours before you start. I marched past white windscreens, panting dogs and a woman cuddling herself at the bus stop. St Brigid's Day is February 1st. Wild authentic Irish Rushes. All rights reserved. On returning she offered the first drink to Brigid. Dried grasses will need to be soaked also. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The cross pictured below is made using flat basket weaving reed that is 1/4-inch wide. It’s a holiday where the returning of the light and the nature after the dark winter is celebrated. A typical Brigid’s cross Interestingly the term “how to make Brigid’s cross” comes up all the time. If the tree had fruited, its berries had gone beyond bletting. Each order is hand cut for preservation purposes in unwoven packs of 40, 60 or 100. The Brigid Cross is an historic emblem in Ireland which celebrates the story of St Brigid. Soft-rush is a very common wild plant and a supply of cross-making materials can be easily cut from any poorly-drained field or low-lying wet ground near ditches, rivers, ponds or lakes. Smooth green rushes were beyond my reach. January 24, 2011 / 10 Comments / in All Posts , People, Business / by Peter Donegan A phone call came to me this morning from Mary a good friend and coincidentally my very first client. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Brigid’s symbol is the cross made from rushes. Born in Dundalk in 450 AD, St Brigid is accredited with first creating the unique cross which bears her name. With my basket filled, I skipped home, eager to craft my Irish cross. Also I recieved my order way before the estimated delivery date. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Rushes from the Irish Rush Company have many great uses from basket weaving, Celtic cross making, St Brigid cross, handmade plant pots, rush matting and a wide range of arts & craft, Fantastically fresh Irish rushes in unwoven packs of 40, 60 or 100. Brigid’s cross or Brigit’s cross (Irish: Cros Bríde, Crosóg Bríde or Bogha Bríde) is a small cross usually woven from rushes. As a school child in Ireland in the 1970’s we learned an old legend about how this cross came into existence. The St Brigid’s Cross was traditionally hung above the entrances to houses, to invoke the help of St Brigid to ward off disease and fire. Each St. Brigid's cross necklace from The Irish Gift House is gift boxed with the history of St. Brigid and her famous Irish cross that was originally made from straw-like rushes. Brigid's Cross is made as an Imbolc rite. To make a St Brigid’s Cross, you need rushes. Thin ice blanketed the water, mallards, kingfishers and swans missing. Typically it has four arms tied at the ends and a woven square in the middle. These fantastic rushes are aimed at all sorts of pattern weaving in schools, evening weaving classes, art workshops or home projects! PH Pandahall 1 pc Natural Wooden Basket Bottom, 7.8 Inch Circle Blank Crochet Baske... JIALU 328 Yards Christmas Raffia Paper Craft Ribbon Packing Paper Twine for Festiva... Coiling Cord, 1/2 Inch, 100 Feet, Basket Weaving, Irish Wall Cross with Traditional Irish Blessing, Coiled Basket Kit for Beginners - Pine Needle, Roman Celtic Cross Garden Stone - Irish Blessing. St. Brigid’s cross is a traditional design that is made in Ireland from genuine straw -like rushes. In Ireland Candlemas (or pagan Imbolc) is celebrated as St Brigid’s feast day. Read more: 5 Irish saints who changed the world St Bridget’s Day is celebrated on the 1st February each year and the crosses are made at that time. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. A distinctive square of woven rushes is the centerpiece, from which four radials extend, each tied at the end. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with that. A grey squirrel startled by my presence, as he leaped from a gnarled, rotted stump then scurried up a slender silver birch. Sizes vary from 30cm - 40cm. Some Irish Americans also use pipe cleaners to make the cross as they are durable and can bend to form the arms of the cross. Historically, there were also three-armed versions. This cross consists of a woven straw (or rushes) square in the centre with four radials tied at the ends. Every year on 1st February we would be asked to bring in rushes so we could make our St. Brigid’s cross. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Legend tells how she picked up rushes from the floor and began to weave them into a cross while she sat at the deathbed of a pagan chieftain. Please try your search again later. The cross is most frequently made from rushes, but sometimes straw is used. Watery sunlight seeped between the crinkled trunks and an ethereal mist rose from the forest floor. Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2018. Beyond amazing customer service and fantastic product. I walked briskly. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-St-Brigid's-Cross-with-Pipe-Cleaners After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Pagan Portals - Brigid: Meeting The Celtic Goddess Of Poetry, Forge, And Healing Well, HSK A4 Led Light Box Light Pad USB Power with 5V 2A Adapter, Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature's Seasons through Intuitive Magick, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Imbolc: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Brigid's Day (Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials, 8), Biddy Murphy St. Brigid’s Cross Hanging 6" x 6" x 3/4" Made in Ireland, Bronze Gallery St Bridget's Cross Hanging Decoration, Sri Yantra Hindu Tantra Chaka | 12” Diameter - 1/8” Thick | Wooden Wall Art Hindu, Crystal Grid, Zen, Oriental Wall Art, Wooden Wall Art Decor | Sacred Geometry Art, Geometry Art | Wooden Crystal Grid, Abbey Gift Abbey Press (Abbey & CA Gift) St. Brigid's Cross Ornament, 3.25 x 3.25, Resin Statues Brigid Goddess of Hearth & Home Standing Holding Sacred Flame Statue 7 X 9.5 X 5.5 Inches Bronze.