HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S

ERIN GO BRAGH

And a Happy St. Patricks's Day greeting to all (Irish or other).

Such an interesting phenomena to me, this special day of celebration.....

drinking and eating green, parades, boiled corn beef meals, wearing green,

luck of the Irish and all .......

I should research more into the history of why all the celebrating of the day - I know St. Patrick himself was Irish - is he the beginning reason for it all?

1)  St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in the memory of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who lived during the 5th century.  He is associated with bringing Christianity to Ireland.  The Catholic Church in Ireland celebrates it as a solemnity and Holy Day. 

2) The Shamrock associated with the day, comes from the popular myth that says St. Patrick used the 3 leaves of the plant to explain Catholicism's Holy Trinity to the Irish.

3) The Harp is a symbol of Ireland.

4)  Green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as 'The Emerald Island', and in the 18th century supporters of the Irish independence used the green color to represent their cause.

5)  Corned beef and cabbage - In Ireland a type of bacon similar to ham is on the customary protein  holiday  table.  In the late 19th century Irish immigrants in New York City's East Side supposedly substituted corned beef, which they bought from Jewish neighbor's in order to save money.

6)   The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

These are just some fun facts behind all the symbols we have come to know to be associated with the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. 

By the way - Erin Go Bragh - translates to Ireland Forever!!

Okay I am off to celebrate with:

 

Have a LUCKY  day!!