Holiday Byte » St Patricks Day

St Patricks Day Fun Facts

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:12:21 +0000

Saint Patrick was born in England not Ireland
The national color of Ireland is green
Erin go Bragh translates to Ireland forever
The first St. Patrick’s day parade was in 1737
If you catch a leprechaun it must tell you where it’s treasure is hidden
15 million cards are exchanged on St. Patrick’s day
10% of all St Patrick’s Day cards are sold in New Yor

St Patricks Day Fun Facts is a post from: Holiday Byte

St Patricks Day Blessing

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:11:38 +0000

May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go and guide you in whatever you do -
And may his loving protection be a blessing to you always.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

St Patricks Day Blessing is a post from: Holiday Byte

St Patricks Day Parade

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:11:00 +0000

The St Patrick’s Day Parade and everything Irish are celebrated on March 17th, his religious feast day. While most Major cities with an Irish population will have a St Patrick’s day Parade, that was not the origin of the celebration. Since his death in the 5th century it has been a religious holiday traditionally used to pray for missionaries around the world, followed by an afternoon of celebrating.

The first parade took place in 1762 in the United States. Irish soldiers who were in the English army marched in a parade on March 17th. As the number of Irish immigrants began to grow in the US, they banded together and formed clubs like the Hibernian Association and Friendly Sons of St Patrick.

During the potato blight of 1845 large numbers of immigrants from Ireland came to America. To help them assimilate the new immigrants lived in tightly packed communities. Local civic leadership at the time organized the citizens and the ‘green machine’ or Irish voting public had the ability to influence elections. To get the attention of this voting block politicians started to become associated with and march in the parades and festivities. In 1948 President Truman became the first president to attend the parade event.

St Patricks Day Parade is a post from: Holiday Byte

Leprechauns

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:10:08 +0000

Leprechauns are mythical fairy folk said to inhabit the island of Ireland. They are solitary diminutive men, who are very secretive and rarely seen. According to most stories they are between 2 and 3 feet tall, and are usually pictured wearing green coat, pants, and tall hat known as a tam o’ shanter. Leprechauns are usually pictured with a beard and pipe. They are excellent craftsman and have a reputation as being the most skilled cobblers and shoe makers in land. Leprechauns are often believed to have large sums of gold or treasure that they keep secret and hidden. According to some legends they have magical powers.

Most stories involving Leprechauns involve a tales of morality or ethics. Leprechauns use practical jokes or slight trickery to teach these lessons to their unsuspecting participants.

Leprechauns is a post from: Holiday Byte

St Patricks Day Fun Facts

Claddagh

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:09:05 +0000

Claddagh jewelry has its origins in two legends. According to the first version Domingo de Rona, a rich Spanish merchant that traded with Galway, married Margaret Joyce. While en route to his homeland Domingo died, leaving his widow a vast sum of money. She then returned to Galway and married Oliver Og French. She used her inheritance in public works projects building bridges from Galway to Sligo. The legend then says an eagle descended from the sky and gave her a claddagh ring.

According to the second legend Richard Joyce of Galway was captured at sea and sold as an apprentice to Moorish goldsmith. The king later ordered him released from service. The goldsmith offered half of his wealth and his daughters hand in marriage if he would remain. He declined and left for Galway. He took his trade and created the claddagh ring which bear his mark RI (Richard Joyce)

The claddagh ring has two hands clasping a heart with crown on top. If you wear the ring on your right hand with the crown turned inward, it means your heart is open and unoccupied. If the crown is turned outward it means you are courting and may be in love. If you wear it on your left hand with the crown facing outward, it means your heart is already taken by someone.

Claddagh is a post from: Holiday Byte

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Kiss the Blarney Stone

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:08:21 +0000

Kissing the Blarney Stone is said to give you the ability to be a ‘smooth talker’. Just down the road from the village of Cork in Ireland you’ll find the town of Blarney. The castle that stands today was built in 1446 and is the third castle built on that spot. In one of the towers on the third story in pit you’ll find the legendary blarney stone. To actually kiss the stone requires some effort. To perform the task properly you sit at the edge with your back towards the stone. With someone holding feet you bend over backwards, lowering yourself into the hole using handrails until your head is low enough o kiss the stone.

The legend goes something like this the king of Munster saved an old woman from drowning. To repay him she put a spell on the stone at the top of the castle, and if he would kiss the stone he would have the ability to influence others with fair words and soft speech.

Kiss the Blarney Stone is a post from: Holiday Byte

Claddagh

St Patricks Day Four Leaf CLovers

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:06:35 +0000

The four leaf clover is a symbol of good luck or fortune for many cultures around the world. According to the bible Eve carried a four leaf clover to cover herself when she was expelled from the Garden of Eden. While some genetically engineered four leaf clovers due exist, true four leaf clovers come from commercial farms of white clover and are hand picked.

St Patricks Day Four Leaf CLovers is a post from: Holiday Byte

St Patricks Day Shamrocks

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:05:33 +0000

Shamrocks are technically ‘any of several similar appearing trifoliate plants’. For St. Patrick’s Day large quantities of shamrocks are exported to countries all across the world. From a botanical view shamrocks can be wood sorrel, white clover, or some species of the pea family. It is said to symbolize the holy trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which all having the same origin, symbolized by the center stem.

St Patricks Day Shamrocks is a post from: Holiday Byte

St Patricks Day History

emily — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:04:50 +0000

The history of St. Patrick is hard to separate from the myths and legends. St. Patrick was the child of a well-to-do family from England from the fifth century. He was captured and taken prisoner from his mansion when he was sixteen years old. While in captivity he believed he was visited by an angel and had a vision of converting people to Christianity.

After six years in captivity Patrick managed to escape. During his escape, he was visited by an angel, who told him he should leave Ireland and return to England, over 200 miles away. Upon arriving in England Patrick had another vision, this time he was to return to Ireland as a missionary. He entered a seminary and after fifteen years of study, was ordained. He then returned to Ireland and began serving God as both a Priest and Missionary.

It is this role that made him famous. According to legend he banished all of the snakes from Ireland. At the time snakes were popular symbols in many pagan rites and ceremonies. When he encountered the druids he is said to have converted them and baptized them in ‘holy wells’. It is the abolition of the snakes in religious ceremonies that historians believe are the origins of the modern myth about them being driven out.

Due to the length of time he spent in captivity he was acquainted with the customs and traditions of the Irish people. To aid in transition from pagan rituals to Christianity, Patrick incorporated many Celtic traditions into Christian celebrations, like bringing bonfires into Easter mass. He also to the Christian cross and combined it with sun, which was a holy symbol, and created the Celtic cross.

Patrick is purported to have died on March 17th in 460 AD. One legend has that his jawbone was enclosed in a silver shrine and was a holy relic used in blessings. Another legend says he passed away in England and was buried in Glastonbury England.

St Patricks Day History is a post from: Holiday Byte