St Brigid’s Day & Imbolc

Welcoming the First Signs of Spring, Gently

Early February sits quietly between seasons.

Winter is still very much here — the mornings are cold, the evenings long — and yet something subtle begins to shift. The light lingers a little longer. The days feel less closed in. There’s a faint sense that change is coming, even if we can’t quite name it yet.

Here in Ireland, this moment has long been marked by St Brigid’s Day and Imbolc (sometimes spelled Imbolg)— two intertwined traditions that both honour the same gentle turning point in the year: the slow return of light, warmth, and new life.

In recent years, St Brigid’s Day has taken on new meaning as a national bank holiday — a rare pause in the calendar that feels especially fitting for a figure so closely associated with care, creativity, and renewal. But long before modern calendars and public holidays, early February was already being noticed as something important.

Not the start of spring — but the promise of it.

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St Brigid & Imbolc: Two Traditions, One Turning Point

Imbolc is an ancient seasonal marker, rooted in the natural rhythms of the land. Traditionally, it signalled the first stirrings of spring — the time when days slowly lengthen and the earth begins to wake after winter rest.

St Brigid, one of Ireland’s most beloved saints and its only female patron saint, carries many of the same themes:
light, care, creativity, protection, and the home.

Over time, these two traditions became closely linked — the seasonal and the spiritual woven together, both pointing toward renewal, hope, and tending to what is quietly growing.

Today, you don’t need to interpret St Brigid’s Day or Imbolc in any one way. You don’t need to follow a specific belief system, practice rituals, or recreate traditions exactly as they once were.

You can simply notice the moment.

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Why This Moment Still Matters

Modern life doesn’t always invite us to move with the seasons. January rushes straight into February, productivity expectations resume, and we’re often encouraged to think ahead rather than stay present.

But seasonal markers like this offer something different.

They remind us that:

• not all change is loud or immediate
• beginnings can be subtle
• care and renewal often start quietly

Early February is not about bursting into action. It’s about preparing the ground — emotionally, physically, mentally — for what will come later.

It’s a time to tend, not to transform.

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Simple Ways to Mark St Brigid’s Day

You don’t need to make anything, buy anything, or do anything elaborate to acknowledge this point in the year. Marking the day can be as small and personal as you like.

Here are a few gentle, realistic ideas — offered as invitations, not expectations:

• Light a candle at dusk, simply to notice the returning light
• Open a window and let fresh air into your home, even briefly
• Tend to one small space — a bedside table, kitchen counter, or hallway
• Wash or change bed linen, as a quiet act of care and renewal
• Write down one intention for the coming weeks — not a goal, just a direction
• Pause and reflect on what you’d like to nurture this season
• Step outside and notice signs of change in nature, however small

Traditionally, some families made St Brigid’s crosses or left a ribbon or cloth outside overnight for blessing.

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A Gentle Beginning, Not a Grand One

St Brigid’s Day and Imbolc don’t ask us to rush forward or reinvent ourselves.

They invite us to:

• care for what already exists
• protect fragile beginnings
• trust that light returns, slowly but surely

In a world that often values speed and spectacle, this moment offers something quieter — and perhaps more sustaining.

A chance to begin again, gently.
A reminder that spring doesn’t arrive all at once.
And that tending matters just as much as growing.

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If you’d like to lean into this season in a simple, supportive way, you might also enjoy our February Calendar of Kindness, which carries many of these same themes of care, intention, and everyday renewal.

However you choose to mark this time — may it feel grounding, hopeful, and kind.

Chat soon

Ciara x

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• Reclaiming Valentine’s Day
• 10 Cosy Habits to Carry from Winter into Spring
• How to Create Everyday Magic

A Gentle Spring Reading List for Seasonal, Intentional Living

Over the years, I’ve found that the books I reach for at this time of year reflect that same gentle shift. They’re not about reinvention or productivity or becoming someone new overnight. They’re about noticing, slowing, reconnecting, and living well within the season you’re actually in.

This is a curated collection of books and resources I return to again and again in spring — for inspiration, grounding, and a sense of rhythm as we move from winter into lighter days.

A gentle note on books & support
You’ll find links to some of these books below, shared for convenience if you’d like to explore them further. If you do choose to use them, they help support my work here in a small way, which I’m very grateful for. That said, please know there is absolutely no obligation — I’m a huge believer in local libraries, second-hand bookshops, borrowing from friends, and supporting independent bookstores whenever you can. However these books find their way into your hands, I hope they bring a little quiet, comfort, and seasonal inspiration into your days.

If you’d prefer to browse everything in one place, you’ll find my full Spring Reading List here → [View the full list on Amazon]

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support my work here and allow me to continue creating free, thoughtful seasonal content.

🌱 Seasonal Living & Nature Connection

Spring is the season of re-attunement — noticing what’s changing outside and inside ourselves. These books help anchor that awareness in the natural world, folklore, and seasonal rhythm.

The Almanac – Lia Leendertz
A modern classic for seasonal living. This is a book to keep close by — filled with gentle guidance on nature, weather, folklore, and what’s unfolding outside your window throughout the year.

Slow Seasons – Rosie Steer
Rooted in Celtic seasonal traditions, this book invites you to reconnect with nature through creativity, ritual, and reflection. Especially beautiful for early spring, when everything feels quietly in motion.

Nature’s Calendar – Keira Chapman et al.
Dividing the year into 72 micro-seasons, this book encourages close observation and deep noticing — perfect for spring, when change happens in small, almost invisible ways.

Telling the Seasons – Martin Maudsley
A thoughtful exploration of folklore, tradition, and the rhythms that have shaped how we understand the year. Ideal for readers who love history woven gently into seasonal living.

Evergreen – Lydia Millen
A reflective guide to finding balance through the seasons, with a strong emphasis on nature connection and slower living. Calm, considered, and quietly grounding.

Ebb and Flow – Tiffany Francis-Baker
Explores how living in rhythm with nature can bring a sense of steadiness and meaning to everyday life, especially during times of transition.

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🌼 Slow Living Philosophy & Gentle Re-Orientation

Spring often brings a subtle pressure to “get going again.” These books offer an alternative — a slower, more intentional way to move forward.

In Praise of Slowness – Carl Honoré
A foundational slow-living read that challenges our obsession with speed and busyness. Still deeply relevant, especially as the year begins to gather pace.

Slow – Brooke McAlary
Practical, compassionate, and honest. This book explores what it really means to slow down in modern life, without opting out or escaping reality.

Seeking Slow – Melanie Barnes
A gentle guide to reclaiming moments of calm in everyday life. This is a book you dip into rather than rush through.

The Art of Frugal Hedonism – Annie Raser-Rowland
Joyful, practical, and grounded — this book celebrates simple pleasures and living well without excess. A perfect companion for springtime simplicity.

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🏡 Home, Ritual & Everyday Calm

As the season shifts, many of us feel the urge to tend to our homes — not through dramatic overhauls, but through small acts of care.

The Kinfolk Home – Nathan Williams
A beautifully curated exploration of homes that prioritise warmth, intention, and lived-in comfort over trends.

Still: The Slow Home – Natalie Walton
Focuses on creating calm, meaningful spaces that support everyday life. Ideal inspiration for gentle spring refreshing without pressure.

My Hygge Home – Meik Wiking
A comforting, accessible guide to creating warmth and ease at home, with plenty of ideas that translate beautifully into spring.

The Art of Danish Living – Meik Wiking
Explores balance, simplicity, and everyday contentment through Danish culture.

The Little Book of Hygge – Meik Wiking
A gentle introduction to comfort, atmosphere, and slowing down at home.

The Little Book of Lykke – Meik Wiking
Focuses on happiness, connection, and wellbeing — a natural spring mindset shift.

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🌸 Gentle Self-Care Through the Year

The Self-Care Year – Alison Davies
Encourages small, seasonal self-care practices that change with the year.

The Happiness Year – Tara Ward
A month-by-month approach to wellbeing, rooted in noticing and intention rather than fixing.

The Wheel of the Year – Fiona Cook & Jessica Roux
A visual and reflective guide to seasonal cycles, traditions, and nature-based living.

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📖 Fiction for Spring & New Beginnings

Spring is also a wonderful time to read stories that mirror renewal, imagination, and quiet transformation.

The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
A timeless spring novel about healing, growth, and the restorative power of nature.

Anne of Green Gables – L.M. Montgomery
Optimism, imagination, and a deep love of the natural world — a perfect spring reread.

The Enchanted April – Elizabeth von Arnim
Four women, an Italian castle, and a month that changes everything. Gentle, hopeful, and quietly transformative.

Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen
A touch of magical realism rooted in gardens, family, and belonging — ideal for spring evenings.

The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
A comforting classic filled with riverbanks, friendship, and seasonal wandering.

Weyward – Emilia Hart
A powerful novel exploring women’s connection to nature across generations — darker in places, but deeply rooted in seasonal themes.

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✍️ Poetry & Reflective Essays

For moments when you want to pause, breathe, and notice.

Devotions – Mary Oliver
A beautifully curated collection of poems that celebrate attention, presence, and the natural world.

Savour – Alice Vincent
Essays on finding joy and meaning in small, everyday pleasures — very much aligned with slow, seasonal living.

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🌼 Optional Additional Seasonal Reads

The Music of Bees – Eileen Garvin
A feel-good novel about healing, beekeeping, and nature’s quiet power.

Wildwood Whispers – Willa Reece
A comforting story centred on gardens, friendship, and slow living.