Why Christians Can Celebrate Imbolc

Imbolc, the ancient Celtic festival of light, marks the halfway point between the Celtic festivals of the dark and light halves of the year (Samhain and Beltaine.) Spring is coming! In Ireland and the UK the appearance of the snowdrops is a sign.

Photo by Eoin Gardiner

Because Imbolc is a pre-Christian, ancient Celtic observance, the festival has been adopted by modern pagans. But that does not mean Christians cannot also observe it. Spring is a time of renewal, a time of new hope, a fresh beginning.

In the verse below, God through the prophet Jeremiah is bemoaning the fact that God's people have turned away from Him, but instead, this is what they should be acknowledging.

 They do not say from the heart, 

      ‘Let us live in awe of the LORD our God, 

   for he gives us rain each spring and fall, 

      assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’

~Jeremiah 5:24 New Living Translation (NLT)

Pagan means "country folks." And country folks by the nature of their lifestyle are more in tune to creation and what miracles it reveals--the nature of God. And that, is why Christians should celebrate the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc.

What do you think?

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our grateful hymn of praise.

~From the hymn written by Folliot S. Pierpoint