The evening activities will include a potluck supper, followed by a short
meeting and a Hands-on-History Workshop, starting at about 6:30. The workshop
will feature a brief history of the Irish in Cavendish and an opportunity to
make a St. Brigid Cross and various Celtic knots.
The Irish had been
coming to America well before the “potato famine,” but immigration picked up
considerably in the 1840s. Many came to Vermont and Cavendish from Canada and
by 1850, the largest foreign-born group in the state were the Irish. Considered
the lowest of the low, the men built the Vermont railroads, while the women
worked in the mills and on the farms. It was the Irish in Cavendish that
established the Catholic Church in Proctorsville.
The St. Brigid’s Cross is made by the Irish on
February 1 and placed on the door inside the house to protect against evil,
fire and hunger. The distinctive cross, made from woven rushes, dates back to
the 5th century.
The Celtic knot, sometimes referred to as the mystic
knot or the endless knot, appears frequently in Irish art and ornamentation.
During the workshop, participants will learn how to draw one style of knot and
create another with paper.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information: margoc@tds.net or 802-226-7807
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