I am always surprised by the attention and bally-ho that comes with Saint Patrick’s Day here in Canada. Maybe because at this time of year we Canadians need an outlet or focus of celebration. Whatever the reason, people seem to love it.
Saint Patrick lived from 387 to 461 AD. The day named after him is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Montserrat. Note the GREEN RIVER in Chicago!
At the age of sixteen, Saint Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest. In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though this time he returned as a bishop. One of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people.
Here are some startling Irish facts:
- Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue.
- Old Irish birthday tradition: lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor, one for every year plus one.
- The original Guiness Brewery in Dublin has a 9000 year lease at 45 pounds a year.
- One of the most popular radio shows in rural Ireland is the weekly broadcast of the obituaries.
- The very first St. Patrick's Day parade in America was hosted by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston in 1737.
- St. Patrick introduced the Roman alphabet and Latin literature into Ireland. After his death, Irish monasteries became Europe’s leading intellectual centers.
- The national symbol of Ireland is the Celtic harp, not the shamrock.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.
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