In a Word. . . Brigid

Oh lordy, will this month ever, ever end? I know, I know. Wishing my life away. But we could do without January.

You might say that January is the Monday of every year. Both represent an end to rest and fun, with just a great stretch – not of evenings – but of work and no play. Both could be compared to a long, lingering hangover that refuses to go away you know.

On Mondays, Friday is not even on the horizon. It’s never a case of standing up and waving “Hello Friday, I can see your pretty/ handsome face from here!”

Friday, of course, wouldn’t want to know. Who blames Friday? Who wants to be associated with such misery?

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Then, of all people, I shouldn’t be hard on Monday, being a child of that day and so, “ . . . fair of face”. (Who’s that laughing?). But, I cannot deny its gloom.

It is similar with January. Tedious, dull, dark January. We can’t even see Easter (April 17th) from here, and Brigid is just a shape in the gloom though only nine days away.

As for her fellow patron saint of Ireland, Patrick, there's not a hint. And that is our next bank holiday this year.

In the interim we wait, impatiently. So little to anticipate. So much time.

With St Brigid’s Day to become a bank holiday from next year, or the Monday closest to it, it might help make January 2023, and thereafter, go away faster.

Particularly through those latter skint weeks of the month as the bills roll in and most of us still await the first pay check of the new year.

Besides, we in this country deserve more bank holidays. The average among our EU neighbours is 12. We have a miserly nine. Such unequal, unfair distribution of leisure time.

There are those who would argue we should reserve any extra bank holidays we bestow on ourselves for the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. (Then, there are those who just argue, always!)

That, generally, has some merit but one new bank holiday should be at the beginning of February. Just to help make January go away faster, speed it on its way, make the winter medicine go down, in a more delightful way.

Brigid, from Irish Brighid, for a goddess/saint associated with fire, spring, healing, poetry.

inaword@irishtimes.com