St Brigid’s Day Bank Holiday: Dates, History and Traditions

The newest holiday on the calendar

For decades Ireland had a long, grey gap between New Year’s Day and St Patrick’s Day. That changed in 2023, when St Brigid’s Day became the country’s tenth public holiday. It was introduced partly as a thank-you to the public after the pandemic, and partly to give proper recognition to a figure who has been part of Irish life for around fifteen hundred years.

It’s also the first Irish public holiday named after a woman, which surprised a lot of people when they stopped to think about it. Brigid sits alongside Patrick and Colmcille as one of the country’s three patron saints, so it’s arguably overdue.

How the date works (it’s not quite every first Monday)

The rule has a small twist. Normally, the holiday is the first Monday in February. But St Brigid’s actual feast day is 1 February, and if that date happens to fall on a Friday, the Friday itself becomes the public holiday instead. Either way you get a long weekend, and it keeps the holiday close to the feast day.

The Friday version doesn’t come around often. Our date engine works it out automatically, so the dates on this page are always right for the year you’re looking at. If you’ve ever seen a calendar that simply says ‘first Monday in February’, that’s why it occasionally gets it wrong.

Who was Brigid?

The historical Brigid is thought to have founded a monastery at Kildare in the late fifth or early sixth century, one of the most important religious houses in early Christian Ireland. Much of what’s told about her comes from later stories: that she gave away her father’s belongings to the poor, that she turned water into ale, that her cloak spread to cover an entire plain of land.

She also shares her name and her feast day with an older figure: Brigid the goddess, linked to fire, poetry, healing and smithcraft. Historians still argue about how much the saint absorbed from the goddess, but the overlap is a big part of why the day feels both Christian and much older at the same time.

Imbolc and the first day of spring

In the old Irish calendar, 1 February was Imbolc, one of four quarter days that marked the turning of the year. It was the start of spring, the beginning of lambing and the first sign that the days were stretching. Even now, plenty of Irish people will tell you spring starts on 1 February, not in March as the weather forecasters insist.

Weather-wise, it can be a hard sell. Early February is often wet, windy and cold. But the evenings are visibly brighter than at Christmas, the snowdrops are out, and there’s something about getting a long weekend in the depths of winter that makes it feel like a gift.

Traditions you can still try

The best-known custom is making a St Brigid’s cross from rushes, a four-armed woven cross hung over the door or in the kitchen to protect the house for the year. Primary schools teach it, and many libraries and heritage centres run workshops in the days before the holiday. Pull rushes from wet ground (with permission if it’s not your land) and soak them if they’re stiff.

• Brigid’s cross: woven from rushes on the eve of the feast and hung over the door.
• The brat Bríde: a strip of cloth left outside overnight on the eve, believed to pick up healing power.
• Brídeog: a doll of Brigid carried from house to house, a custom revived in some parts of the west.
• Holy wells: many wells dedicated to Brigid, including the one in Kildare, are visited around the feast.

Where to mark the day

Kildare town is the natural centre of it all, with a week-long festival of talks, music, walks and ceremonies around 1 February, and visits to St Brigid’s Cathedral and the well on the edge of town. Faughart in County Louth, traditionally named as her birthplace, also draws visitors to its shrine and holy well.

Elsewhere, look out for local events: arts centres, libraries and festivals around the country have used the new holiday to programme storytelling, craft and music. It’s still finding its feet, which is part of the appeal, as the crowds of other bank holidays haven’t arrived yet.

Making the most of a February long weekend

This is low season for Irish tourism, and that’s good news for your wallet. Hotels that charge a fortune in August are often running midweek-style rates, and you’ll have popular spots largely to yourself. The catch is that some smaller attractions and cafés in rural areas are on winter hours or closed completely, so check before you set off.

We’d pick somewhere that works in the rain: a city break in Kilkenny or Galway, a country house with a good fire, or a spa hotel. If the forecast is kind, Glendalough and the Wicklow uplands are beautiful in low winter light. Abroad, the long weekend is a nice excuse for a short hop to somewhere a few degrees warmer.

A holiday still finding its shape

Most bank holidays come with decades of habits attached. St Brigid’s Day doesn’t yet, and you can feel people working out what to do with it. Some treat it as a quiet family weekend at the start of the year. Others use it for a first trip of the year abroad, or a cheap night away before prices rise in spring.

There’s a growing push to make it a celebration of Irish women and creativity, too, with exhibitions, talks and readings programmed around the date. Whichever way you mark it, the fact that it arrives in the darkest stretch of the year is reason enough to make the most of it.

Add it to your calendar

Do you get the day off?

Most workers are owed a benefit for every public holiday, but it isn’t always the day itself. Read your public holiday rights.

Frequently asked questions

Is St Brigid’s Day the same as Imbolc?

They fall on the same date, 1 February. Imbolc is the older seasonal festival marking the start of spring; St Brigid’s Day is the Christian feast. Many traditions mix the two.

When did St Brigid’s Day become a bank holiday?

The first St Brigid’s Day public holiday was in February 2023.

Is the St Brigid’s Day holiday always on a Monday?

Usually, yes: it’s the first Monday in February. The exception is when 1 February falls on a Friday; then the Friday is the public holiday.

How do you make a St Brigid’s cross?

Fold one rush in half around a second rush, then keep folding new rushes around the centre, turning the cross a quarter-turn each time. Tie off the four arms with thread once it’s the size you want.

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