Bairinbreac on St Bridget’s Eve

Colonel Vallancey wrote in 1772 that on St Bridget’s Eve every farmer’s wife in Ireland baked a cake called bairinbreac, and the neighbours were invited in. The madder of ale and the pipe went round, and the evening ended in mirth and festivity. Vallancey thought the custom a relic of a pagan festival of a poetess and goddess named Bridget, moved onto the saint’s eve. Brand printed it under the July feast of St Bridget of Sweden, but noted that the feast of Bridget of Kildare fell on 1 February.