For the second season of Let's Celebrate: A Holiday Origins Podcast I will be researching and celebrating the Celtic Wheel of the Year holidays. The first of which is Imbolc, the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
In this episode I discuss the history behind it, how the people before us celebrated it, how it evolved into the holiday it is now, and I discuss how people have been reconnecting to Imbolc and how we can incorporate these traditions to celebrate these old holidays in a new way.
The CeLibation for this episode is a Flowers in Winter CeLibation, inspired by Imbolc as the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, with the floral flavors of chamomile to symbolize the coming spring and the burning cinnamon to symbolize both the sun's return and the winter’s flame coming to an end and the citrus is the all seasonal flavor to bring them together.
To make this CeLibation you need:
2 oz. Rum
Juice from 1/4 lime
1/4 cup cinnamon-chamomile tea
Garnish with a smoking cinnamon stick; you can either extinguish it in your drink for a smoky infusion, or stick it ember-up and inhale the Christmas-time scent as you sip
For a mocktail make a chamomile tea, sweeten as you like, squeeze in the lemon or lime juice, chill or pour over ice and exchange the sparkling wine for sparkling water or ginger ale. And you can garnish with the smoking cinnamon stick for that winter flare.
References:
https://www.mabonhouse.co/imbolc
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid%27s_cross#Citations
https://www.newgrange.com/imbolc.htm
https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/imbolc
https://druidry.org/resources/imbolc-a-solo-ritual
https://www.homesandgardens.com/life-design/sound-cleansing
https://solasbhride.ie/the-perpetual-flame/
https://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-patroness/brigids-light-fire/
https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/factsheet-the-festival-of-imbolc/
