Making a St Bridget’s Cross is a custom in Ireland. The St Bridget’s Cross is made out of plants called rushes for hanging above the entrances to dwellings to invoke the help of St Bridget in warding off disease.
St Bridget’s Day is celebrated on the 1st February each year and the crosses are made at that time. Rushes were traditionally used to make the St Bridget’s Cross. These were collected from wetlands and cut into pieces, 8-12 inches long. Rushes can be hard to get for city dwellers so ordinary drinking straws are a good substitute. Use rubber bands to tie up the ends.
You Will Need
- 16 Reeds (or Straws)
- 4 small rubber bands
- Scissors
What to Do
- Hold one of the reeds vertically. Fold a second reed in half as in the diagram.
- Place the first vertical reed in the centre of the folded second reed.
- Hold the centre overlap tightly between thumb and forefinger.
- Turn the two rushes held together 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the second reed are pointing vertically upwards.
- Fold a third reed in half and over both parts of the second reed to lie horizontally from left to right against the first straw. Hold tight.
- Holding the centre tightly, turn the three reeds 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the third reed are pointing upwards.
- Fold a new reed in half over and across all the rushes pointing upwards.
- Repeat the process of rotating all the rushes 90 degrees anti-clockwise, adding a new folded reed each time until all rushes have been used up to make the cross.
- Secure the arms of the cross with elastic bands. Trim the ends to make them all the same length. The St Bridget’s Cross is now ready to hang.
Check out our video of one of Scoil Bhride’s students making a St. Brigid’s Cross below:
How to Make a St Brigids Cross from Scoil Bhride on Vimeo.
What are crosses made from?
St. Brigid’s Crosses are made from rushes. Rushes are a grass like plant that grow on wet land. They grow plentifully all over Ireland. Each year, the rushes for the St. Brigid’s Crosses we make in Scoil Bhríde are collected on the lands of the Bland family near Ballyroan.
Why use rushes?
According to legend, a pagan chieftain from the neighbourhood of Kildare was dying. Christians in his household sent for Brigid to talk to him about Christ. When she arrived the chieftain was raving. Brigid sat down at his bedside and began consoling him. As was customary, the dirt floor was strewn with rushes both for warmth and cleanliness. Brigid stooped down and started to weave them into a cross, fastening the points together. The sick man asked what she was doing. She began to explain the cross, and as she talked he questioned her with growing interest. Through her weaving, he converted and was baptized at the point of death.