Family Circle – Imbolc/Brigid – All are welcome! - Page 2

[carfreemama]

I am SO behind on my Imbolc/groundhog preparations and IT"S TOMORROW. We are headed out to the Schubenacadie (sp?) wildlife park to see Schubenacadie Sam see (or not) his shadow. We will need to be on the road for 7 a.m. The park is hosting facepainting, guided snowshoeing and hot chocolate all morning.

Then we are having an Imbolc/groundhog potluck feast at our house. I am making a big pot of fish chowder and some homemade bread. I had heard bread, milk and apples are traditional for Imbolc. Someone else is making Haroset, a Jewish Passover dish. Interesting that it's a featured dish for this time of year.

I need a nonthreatening ritual I can do with lots of people of all ages and mostly not religious at all. A few more conservative Christians and a couple of Pagan sympathisers (I like the term Christopagan, I think that's what I am. I usually put my religion down as Pantheist).

I want to at least introduce Brigid. The kids will be playing pin the tail on the groundhog.

Thanks for the groundhog cupcake recipes. We'll be making those for sure.

I scrubbed the walls today and the floors are tonight.

We are due for 2 snowstorms, one overnight and one around noon tomorrow. This will be the second year we've been trying to get to the wildlife park for Groundhog Day. I DON'T want to be snowed out. I REALLY want this to happen!!!!!

[philomom]

I'm doing a lamb dinner by candlelight tonight. Yum. Tomorrow, I make treats for the kids and watch Groundhog Day.

[carfreemama]

Snowed in! No wildlife park. Too bad!

However, school is cancelled and we can have a snow day. I bought dd a little stuffed groundhog as a surprise. Last year it was a big groundhog puppet. We read a groundhog story last night and will read it to the kids this evening at the potluck. We will go tobogganing and have hot chocolate.

[carfreemama]

Also, we have a fireplace that we don't use at the moment. When we can, I want to get a fireplace insert and use it. I am using it for my meditation space. Does anyone have any suggestions for flowers or objects to subtly embellish the space and make it a little more sacred? It's right in the living room, so I don't want to weird out dh too much!

Happy Imbolc, everyone.

Enjoy your feast, philomom!

I LOVED the movie Groundhog Day!

[rhianna813]

Blessed Imbolc everyone! May Brighid's light shine on you with Inspiration for the coming year :-)

I had my Imbolc open house party, but only a couple people dropped by. Oh well - I made some tasty treats and DS and I made the home made ice cream in a bag. Turned out great! I highly recommend it.

We also made candles and I had the chance to refill some of my favorite glass holders with new wax. I also displayed the pinwheel Brighid’s Cross mantle quilt I made last year. It’s white and red.

Rhianna

[rhianna813]

LOL Jabari the hedgehog at the Portland OR zoo has seen his shadow: 6 more weeks of winter. It IS sunny but very cold outside today.

Rhianna

[AttunedMama]

Originally Posted by rhianna813 

Blessed Imbolc everyone! May Brighid's light shine on you with Inspiration for the coming year :-)

I had my Imbolc open house party, but only a couple people dropped by. Oh well - I made some tasty treats and DS and I made the home made ice cream in a bag. Turned out great! I highly recommend it.

We also made candles and I had the chance to refill some of my favorite glass holders with new wax. I also displayed the pinwheel Brighid’s Cross mantle quilt I made last year. It’s white and red.

Rhianna

If you had a minute to share a photo of your quilt, this Mama would be pretty geeked out. :)
 

[rhianna813]

Here is the mantle quilt. It's only the top piece so far because I have not figured out how to make a backing to match it LOL It was fun to make and I plan on displaying it each Imbolc :-)

Rhianna

[AttunedMama]

Wow! I love it! Thank you for sharing!

[revolting]

Bump for 2012!

[Attila the Honey]

This is my first year celebrating Imbolc, I really appreciate reading all of this!

[Aeress]

ThanKs for the bump

[rhianna813]

Hi All!

I was just reading through my Candlemas book and it said there is a tradition to remove all Yule/Christmas evergreens from your home before Imbolc/Candlemas.... or else hobgoblins would come!

People - get those Yule trees down! Think of the children... LOL

[carfreemama]

Thanks for redirecting me to this thread. I had posted about Imbolc in Religious Studies. Once again, I am going to try a party on Imbolc, only it will have to wait until Saturday, February 4. People seem pretty excited. I just have to really start getting things nailed down. I am determined that THIS year, we will make it to the actual Schubenacadie Sam celebration, but we were snowed out last year. I really want this party to fly, though. I feel like there are lots of good ideas floating around in my head; too many, maybe. I have to settle on something simple. I was going to make corn dollies for the kids to decorate, but I think that's overwhelming me. I should just throw a party, already.

I did find some 75-percent-off prairie dog calendars and I am planning to cut out the groundhog images and deck them out like Brigid. Do you think she would mind?

[rhianna813]

If it's really cold where you live, you can make ice lanterns. It's where you get a large and small container. Fill the large container with some water, add the smaller container with rocks to hold it down a bit, letting the water come up around it. The end result is a block of ice with a hollow section in the middle - where you put the candle. You can add leaves/pine to the water when it freezes for decoration. The ice lantern lives outside on your front porch.

Better instructions and pictures: http://www.ordinarylifemagic.com/2010/11/ice-lanterns.html