^{Like Artemis and Diana, Brigit watches over childbirth. She is considered the midwife to the Blessed Virgin and thus the foster mother of Christ. Her feast of purification, Imbolc, is the first of February. This festival celebrated the lactation of the ewes, symbolic of new life
and the coming of spring. Milk was poured as an offering on the ground. The dandelion was Brigit's flower; it has a milky juice that was believed to provide nourishment to young lambs. Special cakes were baked on her day, and dolls in her image were carried by girls in procession through the town. At each household they would stop while the householder made a present to Bride and paid homage to
her, the gift could be a pebble, shell, or flower. The mother of each household baked a special cake for her. Finally the girls ended up at one house where they locked all the doors and windows, setting the doll in the window where she might be seen. Then the dancing began which
continued until dawn, when they formed a circle to sing the hymn "Beaueous Bride, Choice Foster-Mother of Christ." While the young people were dancing the older women were busy fashioning a cradle, the Bed of Bride. They also made a doll out of corn sheaf and decorated it with shells, stones, flowers, and ribbons. When the doll was ready one woman went to the door and called, "Bride's Bed is ready." Another replied, "Let Bride come in; Bride is welcome." Then the icon was placed in the
bed along with peeled wand of birch, broom, or bramble white willow (wood being considered sacred). At this point the ashes on the hearth were leveled, for the next morning they hoped to find evidence
(footprints) that Bride had visited them, an omen of great prosperity}

^{(McNeill 1959: 22-28).}

^{Paying homage to Bride, the presentation of gifts, making dolls, baking of special cakes, welcoming of the Saint in each house, and expectation of her visit as a blessing must have roots deeper than the last centuries of paganism; much of it carries on Neolithic traditions.}

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