Rituals of renewal, with cake
In the past I've enjoyed indulging in birthday 'bath tub tourism'. Little did I know it's traditional for the time of year.
I'm a February baby, as is my youngest, so we've been celebrating. I usually take a dip to mark another turn around the sun. This year it was just the jacuzzi at the gym but in the past I've enjoyed indulging in what I call 'bath tub tourism'. Highlights have included a claw foot tub in Bruges with chocolates, the art nouveau thermal spa Gellert in Budapest and a chilly paddle at Traeth Coch, Ynys Môn (Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey). Little did I know my washing whimsy is actually quite traditional for the time of year.
Mid-way between the winter solstice and spring equinox, February 1st is a 'cross quarter-day' in Celtic tradition. It's better known as Imbolc and is particularly celebrated in Gaelic culture. There's debate as to the origin of the word but one suggestion is that it comes from the old Irish imb- folc with Celtic scholars linking it to ritual cleansing. Alternatively, it could be derived from i mbolc meaning "in the belly" denoting a fertility festival. A third possibility is that it derives from oí-melg or "Ewe's milk" but critics dismiss this as a neat revision to explain the festival's timing at the onset of lambing season.
Pagans celebrate Imbolc as a fire festival, a feast for Brigid the Celtic goddess of poetry, healing and blacksmithing. Christians need not miss out either, St Brigid's day is conveniently on the same day and memorialises an abbess who is arguably a Catholic version of the pagan goddess. The next day is also Candlemas, aka the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which includes the ritual blessing of candles that are used for the rest of the year. Following the Roman route, you can have a ritual purging or Februa. The festival of Lupercalia was held on 15 February in honour of the shepherd's favourite god Lupercus who protected flocks from wolves and ensured their fertility.
Personally, as well as a birthday cake, I made a cheesecake with fiery ginger biscuits for vitality, nourishing cream cheese and a bright dandelion honey topping to mark the beginning of spring. It was delicious and I'm now in need of some ritual purification - back to the gym (jacuzzi).
