Let’s celebrate St. Brigid’s Day!

Posted February 1, 2012 | 10:00 am, by Mirella

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Are you looking for an excuse to break your post-holiday, guilt-driven “drinking break”?

Do you need an excuse to get off the couch and out to the pub this evening?

Well, guess what? It’s St. Brigid of Kildare’s Day!…

Let’s all head out to the pub and CELEBRATE!

Right now, some of you might be wondering who St. Brigid of Kildare was. Well, like St. Patrick (who we celebrate at the pub every year) she is one of the patron saints of Ireland. Here’s the difference, though. Although we know nothing of St. Paddy’s drinking habits or whether he enjoyed beer at all, St. Brigid was all about the beer! Here is the beginning of a prayers which is attributed to her. I propose it as a toast for this evening:

“I should like a great lake of ale, for the King of the Kings. I should like the family of Heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.”

Isn’t that sweet of her? St Brigid of Kildare‘s life is not very well documented but her love of beer was. How’s this for a miracle: “when she sent a barrel of beer to one Christian community, it proved to satisfy 17 more”… She multiplied a barrel of beer to make sure there was enough to go around, and this is at a time when malt was scarce! There is also a story of her turning her bathwater into beer. Alternate versions have her doing so for a thirsty clergyman or a leper colony. It is a good deed, either way.

If St. Brigid were around today, I’m sure she’d want us to mark her day with beer. Since the Irish have opted for St. Paddy’s day to celebrate their culture and heritage, I propose that we use St. Brigid’s day to celebrate women in beer:

Let’s get all of our favourite women out to the pub and buy them a pint!

Let’s seek out beers that were designed and brewed by women!

Let’s give a big hug to all of the brewsters we know!

Happy St. Brigid’s Day!!!

Update: as of 2023, St. Brigid’s Day is now a public holiday in Ireland. It seems we won’t be the only ones celebrating…