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Celebrating the passage of winter and the persistence of clever Irish women as we wait for the right moment to spring into action.

Read:

• Fiona’s Luck
• St. Brigid’s Cloak
• Brave Margaret
• O’Sullivan Stew

Discuss:

• What is a fugitive?
• What is a patron saint in Catholicism?
• What does it mean that the Catholic church ‘does that sort of thing’ (co-opts non-Catholic leaders & twists history)
• What religions and faiths did Irish ancestors practice before colonization & the conversion led by St. Patrick?
• How did each of the women in these stories use cleverness, wit, and misdirection for justice?
• How does Imbolc celebrate the beginning of spring?

Activities

• Make a St. Brigid’s Cross, or if you can’t find rushes, make a paper version (traditionally made 1/31, the eve of St. Brigid’s Day)
• Make Your Own Butter

More resources to dig deeper:

• Irish American Kids Stories
• What is Imbolc?
• Family Action Trickster Toolkit
• Favorite kids books for spring
• How to celebrate Imbolc