signs of spring on Good Friday, Vårtecken på Långfredag

Idag är det Långfredag, det kallas Good Friday på engelska.
Förut på Irland så höll man denna dag heligt genom att inte äta kött, (fisk tillåts), äta bara 3 mål mat sammanlagt, gå i kyrkan kl 3 på em för ceremonier, och alla affärer brukade vara stängda, inklusive pubbarna.
Nuförtiden är det många affärer som har öppet, och jag måste erkänna att jag var inne i stan en kort sväng imorse för att utföra några ärrenden.
Dessutom så är det en rugby match på gång i Limerick just nu, Munster mot Leinster och pubbarna i Limerick ansökte om lov att få öppna idag, och det fick dem. Så det är mycket som har förändrats på Irland.
Själv så tycker jag att det inte skadar någon, de som vill gå i kyrkan får göra det, utan att dem som inte är katoliker behöver sitta hemma om de inte vill. Det är en fråga om individens valmöjligheter, tycker jag.

Jag tog en promenad på våran väg idag, här ser ni några vårtecken, celandiner, påskliljor, vårvivor, knoppar på min Cornus Alba och på en ask. Det var fler bilder men de kanske är lite för stora att lägga alla in i ett inlägg. Hur stora brukar ni ha era bilder?





Today on Good Friday, the pubs are open for 5 hours in Limerick, there's a well-attended rugby match on in Thomond park between Munster and Leinster, and earlier today both I and my husband were in town shopping and doing errands. All these activities would be unthinkable not so long ago in Ireland on Good Friday.
Things have changed in Ireland, for the best I believe, we need to go further along the road of Church-State separation.
I went for a walk at around 7.30 pm, the sun came out from behind the rainclouds, the road was wet and shiny, the country sparkling with raindrops and there was a lovely light, that clear light that comes after rain in the early evening, when there are still navy blue clouds and rainbows in the sky.
Hope you like the photos, I went a little mad, celandines, daffodils, primroses, yellow flowers on my Forsythia, black buds on an ash tree, buds on the red branches of my dogwood, aka Cornus Alba, as far as I know... What I don't post tonight I'll post tomorrow. Bet ye can't wait!

Regards
liz

St Brigid's day, the first day of Spring

Idag är den första dag av våren på Irland, och dessutom firar vi Saint Bridget's day.

Sankta Bridget, född 452, död 525, är Irlands skyddshelgon.
Det finns många berättelser kring Brigid. Hon var generös med de fattiga, och blev nunna och startade ett flertal kloster.
En tradition som vi har på Irland är att 'veva' en enkel kors med gröna tågväxter, (bild nedan) som man hänger i huset för att hålla sjukdom och brand borta under året.
Rushes Tågväxter

One of the traditions surrounding St Brigid's day is to make a St Brigid's day cross from rushes (in photo above)
.
St Brigids Cross.

Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland (Brigit, Bridget, Bridgit,or Bríd) (Irish: Naomh Bríd) (c. 451–525) is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba. Her feast day is February 1, or Candlemas, the traditional first day of spring in Ireland. She is believed to have been an Irish Christian nun, abbess, and founder of several convents.
Brigid was given the same name as one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion which her father Dubhthach practiced. In that religion, Brigid was the goddess of healing, inspiration, craftsmanship and poetry, which the Irish considered the flame of knowledge.


According to tradition a new cross is made each Saint Brigid's Day (February 1), and the old one is burned to keep fire from the house, yet customs vary by locality, and family. Many homes have multiple crosses preserved in the ceiling the oldest blackened by many years of hearth fires. Some believe that keeping a cross in the ceiling or roof is a good way to preserve the home from fire which was always a major threat in houses with thatch and wood roofs.

Celebrating this day, ie Feb 1st, goes back before Christian times, as this extract from wikipedia tells us. The Celts used to celebrate the start of Spring at this time and called it Imbolc.

Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Celtic calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures, either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 1, which falls halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere.[1] Originally dedicated to the goddess Brigid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid's Day.

text in italics and photos are loaned from wikipedia.

Enjoy the day, whether it's spring(Ireland), winter (Sweden) or summer (Australia) where you are.
zile

first signs of spring

Hej på er,
här kommer 3 bilder av vårtecken hos oss, vad glad jag blir att kylan har släppt greppet. Jag är ju född och uppväxt här, så jag är van vid regn och blåst, det gör mig inget. Jag känner mig hemma under moln, brukar jag säga till värmlänningen. Typ jag skulle föredra att semestra i Skottland än i Spanien.
Jag gillar januari månad: efter jul så känns det skönt att ta bort allt det överflödiga, allt som hade med jul att göra. Ljuset börjar återkomma också, sakta men säkert, allteftersom, och då blir jag glad.
ha det så skoj,
zile


Photo above: first shoots



Photo above: look closely and you will see two tiny white catkins just beginning to come out on the branch in the middle...


Photo above: a cat and a house, and what do you notice? yes, there's no snow!

Like I said, it's green out there, as in the snow has melted and the ice is gone, we had a little bit of black ice this morning, but tomorrow we'll be getting a deep area of low pressure in from the Atlantic and then we'll be getting wind and rain. But if that's what you're used to, (and I am,) then it's ok!
What I like about Ireland is the fact that spring comes so early, in fact I often think we have a long spring, and a long autumn, with a short summer and a short winter tucked in there somewhere inbetween. Whereas in Sweden, they seem to have a more pronounced winter and summer, with short spring and short autumn.
I was out today with my camera, and I took a photo of the house with green grass in front of it, also a shot of my weeping willow, with just two little white catkins peeping out and then a little pot where i have some bulbs planted, you can see the first little shoots peeping up. I absolutely think the first signs of life in spring are fascinating, and I love to go around the garden and check the pots and little places under the trees for the bulbs.
TGIF tomorrow,
zile