📅 holiday

St Brigid's Day

Monday, February 2, 2026

— days to go

St Brigid’s Day is observed as a bank holiday on the first Monday of February, unless February 1st falls on a Friday — in which case, the holiday is celebrated on that day. In 2027, St Brigid's Day falls on Monday 1 February. The holiday will be on Monday 7 February in 2028. Introduced in 2023, it is Ireland’s newest public holiday, honouring St Brigid of Kildare, one of the country’s three patron saints. The day also marks the traditional beginning of spring and coincides with the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc, a celebration of renewal, fertility, and light. St Brigid’s Day is celebrated across Ireland with community events, workshops, and storytelling. One of the most enduring traditions is the making of St Brigid’s crosses from rushes or straw — believed to protect homes and bring blessings for the year ahead. Schools and cultural groups often host festivals and activities highlighting Irish heritage and the values associated with Brigid, such as hospitality, compassion, and creativity. This public holiday not only pays tribute to a beloved figure in Irish history and folklore but also reconnects people with seasonal traditions and ancient customs that continue to shape Ireland’s cultural identity.

History

St Brigid’s Day is observed as a bank holiday on the first Monday of February, unless February 1st falls on a Friday — in which case, the holiday is celebrated on that day. The day also marks the traditional beginning of spring and coincides with the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc, a celebration of renewal, fertility, and light. St Brigid’s Day is celebrated across Ireland with community events, workshops, and storytelling. One of the most enduring traditions is the making of St Brigid’s cros

How It's Celebrated

St Brigid’s Day is observed as a bank holiday on the first Monday of February, unless February 1st falls on a Friday — in which case, the holiday is celebrated on that day. The holiday will be on Monday 7 February in 2028. Introduced in 2023, it is Ireland’s newest public holiday, honouring St Brigi

Other Years

2027 Mon

1 Feb

2028 Mon

7 Feb

2026 Mon

2 Feb

2025 Mon

3 Feb

Countries

🇮🇪 IE

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🌍 observance Jan 11

National Tara

In 1200, s. Origin of Tara. The name Tara has historical roots in Ireland, originating from the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland

🌍 observance Jan 13

National Kathleen

A Name That Became a Nation. Kathleen's symbolic power in Ireland goes beyond ordinary naming. In the 1790s, Irish political songs began invoking "Kathleen Ni Houlihan" as a code name for Ireland herself, personified as an old woman who had lost her four green fields (the four provinces) to a foreign invader.In 1902,William Butler Yeatsand Lady Augusta Gregory staged the one-act play Cathleen Ní Houlihan at Dublin's Abbey Theatre. The play depicted a mysterious old woman calling young men to fight for Irish freedom during the 1798 rebellion. Its nationalist impact was so direct that Yeats later wrote: "Did that play of mine send out / Certain men the English shot

IEUS

🌍 observance Feb 1

National Sean Day

A Name Tied to National Identity. By the early twentieth century, Sean had become more than a common first name. It carried political weight. Dublin-born playwright. John Casey, who joined the Gaelic League around 1906, changed his name to Seán O'Casey as a public declaration of support for Irish cultural independence.He was not alone. Across the independence movement, adopting Irish-language names became an act of resistance against British cultural dominance.Other Seáns rose to prominence in Irish public life. Seán T. O'Kelly served as the second President of Ireland from 1945 to 1959, and Seán Mac. Bride won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 for his work on human rights and disarmament

📅 holiday Feb 10

Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck

The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is a holiday unique to Malta because it was on Malta that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked around the year A.D. 60. In 2027, Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck falls on Wednesday 10 February. The holiday will be on Thursday 10 February in 2028. The feast is kept on February 10th each year, and as Paul is the patron saint of Malta, it is a much-anticipated event. Out of dozens of “saint days” on the church calendar in Malta, the Feast of Saint Paul is one of only a handful that have the status of a national holiday. The account of Paul’s shipwreck and three-month, wintertime stay on Malta is found in the Bible’s Acts 27:27 through 28:11. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner to eventually stand trial before Caesar. God let him know in advance he would be shipwrecked but would spare the lives of all on board, which promise was later kept and in answer to Paul’s prayers for their lives. The Bible says the storm was in the Adriatic Sea, though Malta borders the Ionian Sea, because in ancient times, the Adriatic’s boundaries were considered to extend much farther south. The ship broke up on the rocks near the shores of Malta, and all swam ashore. The local population greeted them, but thought he might be a murderer whom the “goddess of justice” had finally caught up with after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. After he lived, however, they supposed him to be, perhaps, a god. Paul, however, soon showed them it was God’s power at work in a mere man by healing the governor of the island, Publius, and many others who were sick or disabled among the island’s population. No doubt, Paul preached the Gospel to them as well, and when he left Malta, the inhabitants gave him all necessary supplies out of gratitude. The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is kept at the “Parish Church of Saint Paul Shipwrecked” in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. It is also a day of processions and family get-togethers. Three things to do should you visit Malta, though hopefully not be shipwrecked there, on February 10th are: