Imbolc

British

/ ˈɪmbəʊlk, ˈɪmbəlk, ˈɪmməlk /

noun

an ancient Celtic festival associated with the goddess Brigit, held on Feb 1 or 2 to mark the beginning of spring. It is also celebrated by modern pagans

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Imbolc

C15: from Old Irish oimelc ewe's milk

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Imbolc

She was honored on the mid-winter holy day of Imbolc, still commemorated on Feb. 1, which also became St. Brigid’s Day.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024

"Imbolc is observed on February 1 to celebrate the start of spring at the cross-quarter day, which now occurs on February 3 in the Gregorian calendar," Méndez says.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2023

Imbolc falls on Feb. 1 — Saint Brigid’s feast day.

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2022

And I pause on 1 February to mark Imbolc, the Gaelic festival that marks the start of spring, when the ewes are pregnant and the first snowdrops are appearing.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 9, 2020

For its year-long celebration, Galway is using the old Celtic calendar with four distinct seasons: Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lughnasa, and Samhain.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023