Hurrah! The day of much greeness and Irishness!
I have a love of Irish music, namely their jigs and reels (such lively, toetapping, addictive music!), and I like the Irish accent, and the thought of learning Irish Gaelic, and the vision of rolling green pastures beneath a rainy, cloud-covered sky..
But then I realised, I don't actually know what St Pat's Day is all about. I'm sure I've learnt about it or researched it before, but it's not something that sticks in the mind all too well. It's easy to associate the holiday with bright green, tall hats, leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and lots of drinking (particularly Guinness), however..
I've gone and Googled it, and found the following information:
Sourced from: http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/St. Patrick's Day – Celebrating the GreenSt. Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Once a pagan himself, St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.
The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint's feast day also thought to be the date of the saint's death. In 1737, Irish immigrants to the United States began observing the holiday publicly in Boston and held the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 1766.
Sourced from: http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=851&display_order=2&sub_display_order=1&mini_id=1082
The First ParadeSt. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years.
On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.
Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called "Irish Aid" societies, like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes (which actually first became popular in the Scottish and British armies) and drums.
In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and fireworks shows.---
I know of an old Irish blessing, but don't know it off by heart, so I went and searched that too. Found a few other gems which I like, and I've included them below for your enjoyment.
Sourced from: http://islandireland.com/Pages/folk/sets/bless.htmlAn Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.A Wish for a Friend
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!An Irish Prayer
May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.An Old Celtic Blessing
May the blessing of light be on you—
light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you
and warm your heart
till it glows like a great peat fire.An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!---
I also found some amusing toasts -
Sourced from: http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=53381&display_order=2&sub_display_order=8&mini_id=1082
May God bring good health to your enemies enemies
May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.
May you be in heaven one half hour before the devil knows you're dead.
As you slide down the banisters of life may the splinters never point the wrong way.
There are many good reasons for drinking,
One has just entered my head,
If a man doesn't drink when he's living,
How the hell can he drink when he's dead?
May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.
May you get all your wishes but one,
So you always have something to strive for.
Here's to you,
here's to me,
the best of friends we'll always be.
But if we ever disagree,
forget you here's to ME!!
Here's to your coffin...
May it be built of 100 year old oaks which I will plant tomorrow.
Here's to you as good as you are,
Here's to me as bad as I am,
As good as you are,
And as bad as I am,
I'm as good as you are,
As bad as I am.
May the sons of your daughters smile up in your face.
Health, and long life to you
Land without rent to you
The partner of your heart to you
and when you die, may your bones rest in Ireland!
May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.
An old Irish recipe for longevity:
Leave the table hungry.
Leave the bed sleepy.
Leave the bar thirsty.
I've drunk to your health in the pubs ,
I've drunk to your health in my home ,
I've drunk to your health so many times ,
That I've almost ruined my own.
May you never forget what is worth remembering,
Or remember what is best forgotten.
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,
The insight to know where you are,
and the foresight to know when you've gone too far.
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
May you never make an enemy
When you could make a friend
Unless you meet a fox among your chickens.
May your fire be as warm as the weather is cold.Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody :)
