2024 marks the 1500th year of the passing of Saint Brigid, the patron Saint of Kildare and Ireland and in preparation for this special year there will be lots of activities and events taking place in 2023.
Today, the Pause for Peace movement is one of these special events and celebrations which formally recognises the importance of Saint Brigid from a cultural, religious, spiritual, and historical point of view.
At noon on St Brigid's Day schools, businesses or individuals are asked to stop and reflect and hope for peace in the world in honour of our celebrated saint. The event is organised by Into Kildare and Solas Bhríde.
Pause for Peace asks people of all faiths and none to stop for a minute's silence and send out peace from their hearts to the people of the world. She said the movement has been inspired by Saint Brigid whose legacy is most relevant in our war-torn world today.
Sr Rita Minehan of Solas Bhríde said: "This movement for a Pause for Peace sets the scene for marking the new national holiday. It reflects a spiritual underpinning to the day and is consonant with the value of peace which Brigid stood for in her time."
"By pausing for peace, we send out a message that we actively oppose warfare and the proliferation of arms, which wreak havoc on human beings as well as on the natural world. This movement aims to awaken and build a spirit of global solidarity in our search for peace."
CEO of Into Kildare, Áine Mangan said, "From this year onwards Ireland will celebrate a new annual national holiday in honour of Saint Brigid, one of the three patron saints of our country. Saint Patrick had a national holiday declared in his honour in 1903, finally, one hundred and twenty-three years later Saint Brigid has been granted a similar honour. This decision marks the modelling of the equal dignity of male and female at national level. The new public holiday this year is on the 6th of February.
"The Saint Brigid’s Day Public Holiday is hugely important not just for County Kildare, but for the whole country when we expect to see hundreds of thousands of visitors travel to Ireland. Equally, from a domestic point of view, the new holiday will serve as a welcome uplift for hospitality providers who will enjoy a business boost in the shoulder period between Christmas and Saint Patrick’s Day."
"Saint Brigid was renowned as a peace maker and one of the most popular stories associated with her is that of her giving away her father’s precious jewelled sword to a poor person so that he could barter it for food to feed his family. She was compassionate, a protector of the natural world and a formidable force for justice whose light shines ever more brightly today."
There are more events as part of Brigid 1500 where we will see a whole series of celebrations and events taking place at home and get resources for teachers and groups.
