14 Ideas for Hosting a St. Brigid’s Day Playdate

Despite the fact that I am of half-Irish descent, I never knew much about St. Brigid, one of the patron saints of Ireland, until I had my own children.  In fact, it was not until I ran into the picture book titled Brigid’s Cloak that I really took note of this child-friendly saint.  Since then, my children and I have enjoyed celebrating St. Brigid’s feast day together and, in honor of the Year of Faith, hope to invite friends to join our  this year.

Hosting a St. Brigid’s Day playdate should be easy with the following ideas in mind.  Perhaps you’d like to try it, too!

St. Brigid’s Feast Day: February 1st

Prayer

• Prayers, Hymns and Poems:  The Brigadine Sisters share a number of prayers, hymns and poems on their site which could be recited with children.

Arts and Crafts

• Coloring:  Charlotte, at Waltzing Matilda, offers a free printable coloring page of St. Brigid.

• St. Brigid’s Cross:  Follow the illustrated, step-by-step directions at Catholic Home and Garden to make St. Brigid’s crosses.

• Puppet:  St. Brigid is often depicted holding a lamp or candle and sometimes pictured carrying a cross woven from rushes or standing near a cow.  With these images in mind, create puppets using plastic spoons, wooden spoons or popsicle sticks, as well as fabric scraps, colored paper, glue and markers.

Games and Activities

• Butter Making:  Fresh butter was traditionally churned on St. Brigid’s Day.  To make some with children, simply place a clean marble in a baby food jar and pour in some room temperature full cream.  Screw the cap on the jar, shake vigorously for five minutes or so until you get passed the whipped cream stage.  Then, pour out the liquid and enjoy the butter left behind.

• Charity Baskets:  Traditionally, wealthier farmers gave mutton, fowl and pork away to poorer neighbors on St. Brigid’s Day.  St. Brigid herself was also known for great charity.  Model this by having all playdate attendees bring food items.  Then, together, decorate a food basket and make cards to be dropped off at a local pantry or shelter.  Alternately, since St. Brigid is patron to babies, have each playdate attendee bring a baby shower item, such as clothing, rattles or blankets.  Put these together in a basket to give to a local respect Life ministry.

• Nature Walk:  As per Saint Brigid Catholic Church’s website, “St. Brigid loved to wander the woods befriending the animals, ” go on a nature walk together, perhaps leaving a trail of bird seed or other food that animals at this time of year might appreciate.

• Stock and Count:  Traditionally, St. Brigid is a protector of farm animals and crops.  Thus, in rural Ireland on St. Brigid’s feast day, families often counted how much bacon, potatoes and other foods they had in store for themselves, while also considering how long their stock of hay and other winter fodder might last until the grasses grew once more to feed their animals.  Tie into this by placing a pile of playfood or shelf stable items and fresh produce on one side of a space and a box for storage on the other.  Have children carry the items, one by one, to fill the boxes, counting as they go.  To add an element of competition, simply break children into two teams and have them race to see who can count out a specific number of items to fill their box with first.

• Dramatic Play:  Read the following poem, provide a few simple props and see what dramatic play it inspires.

The Giveaway
from The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley

Saint Brigid was
A problem child.
Although a lass
Demure and mild,
And one who strove
To please her dad,
Saint Brigid drove
The family mad.
For here’s the fault in Brigid lay:
She WOULD give everything away.

To any soul
Whose luck was out
She’d give her bowl
Of stirabout;
She’d give her shawl,
Divide her purse
With one or all.
And what was worse,
When she ran out of things to give
She’d borrow from a relative.

Her father’s gold,
Her grandsire’s dinner,
She’d hand to cold
and hungry sinner;
Give wine, give meat,
No matter whose;
Take from her feet
The very shoes,
And when her shoes had gone to others,
Fetch forth her sister’s and her mother’s.

She could not quit.
She had to share;
Gave bit by bit
The silverware,
The barnyard geese,
The parlor rug,
Her little
niece’s christening mug,
Even her bed to those in want,
And then the mattress of her aunt.

An easy touch
For poor and lowly,
She gave so much
And grew so holy
That when she died
Of years and fame,
The countryside
Put on her name,
And still the Isles of Erin fidget
With generous girls named Bride or Brigid.

Well, one must love her.
Nonetheless,
In thinking of her
Givingness,
There’s no denial
She must have been
A sort of trial
Unto her kin.
The moral, too, seems rather quaint.
WHO had the patience of a saint,
From evidence presented here?
Saint Brigid? Or her near and dear?

Books and Stories

• The Life of Saint Brigid: Abbess of Kildare by Jane G Meyer has beautifully illustrated illuminations, but may be best for middle to upper elementary school children and older.
• Brigid’s Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story by Bruce Milligan ties a myth about St. Brigid to the Christmas story.  It holds young children’s attention well.
• Saint Brigid and the Cows by Eva K Betz is aimed at children ages 6-10 and relate Saint Brigid’s mission to spread God’s word and love throughout her country, as well as to share her kindness to all of God’s creatures.
• St Bridget and the King’s Wolf can be found online at the Baldwin Project.

Snacks

• Irish Inspired Bites:  Try any of the recipes linked at Catholic Culture’s St. Brigid feast day page.

Martianne writes about faith, family and homeschooling at Training Happy Hearts, where she hosts a link-up for raising young ones in the faith, beginning on Sunday each week.

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