St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day
　

St. Patrick’s Day I a Roman Catholic feast day that honors St. Patrick (387-461AD), the Patron Saint of Ireland. Because of St. Patrick’s patronage, St. Patrick’s Day ( March 17^th) has come to be closely associated with the Irish and the Irish culture.

- The Feast Day of March 17^th has been observed in Ireland for hundreds or years.

- The date falls in the Fasting Season of Lent , but on St. Patrick’s Day the prohibitions to eating meat were lifted, and the Irish celebrate with their Patron Saint with dancing, drinking , and feasting on the traditional meal of Irish Bacon and Cabbage. Sub to Corned Beef by Irish immigrants to the US as it was a cheaper alternative to bacon.

- The traditional parade did not begin in Ireland but in America.

In 1848 several Irish Aid Societies in New York decided to combine to do one parade and this parade is the oldest and the largest civilian Parade.

- In Ireland it is traditional to wear a shamrock in one’s lapel or cap, children wear tri colored (green, white and orange) badges, girls green ribbons I their hair.

-Until the 1970’s Pub’s in Ireland were required to stay closed.


- Since 1995 the Irish Govt. decided to make St. Patrick’s Day a chance to showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the World.

- Most common traditions on St. Patrick’s Day include the wearing of Green, enjoying Irish folk music, and food and consuming large quantities of Irish Beer (sometimes dyed green) , Irish Whisky, Irish Coffee, or Bailey’s Irish Cream.

- In the USA its not St. Patrick’s Day unless the Chicago River is dyed Green.

Lynn

Hello

More tid bits ......


St. Patrick, was said to have used the three-leafed Shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity.
The Holy Trinity is a Christian doctrine that teaches the unity of the Father, ( God ), Son, (Jesus of Nazareth ), Holy Spirit ( Spirit of God ).
He explained in his sermons that the clover represented how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all separate parts of a single entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a Shamrock on his Feast Day of March 17 th.
　
That is why March 17th is now celebrated as the "Feast Day Of St. Patrick", when Irish people from all over the world traditionally wear the Shamrock on their chests, hence the phrase "The Wearing Of The Green". St. Patrick's death on March 17, in about 461AD, has been observed in America since colonial days.

　Canada

In Canada, Saint Patrick's Day is an official holiday only in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Some groups, notably Guinness, have lobbied to make Saint Patrick's Day a federal (national) holiday.

* longest running St Patrick’s Day Parade in Canada is in Montreal, Quebec
First parade was in 1824
* St. Patrick’s Day dates back to 1759 celebrated by the Irish Soldiers of the Montreal Garrison, following the British conquest of New France.

Toronto, Ontario holds one of the largest parades in North America began in 1988

In the Province of Manitoba, the Irish Association of Manitoba runs an annual three day festival of music and culture based around St Patrick's Day.


United Kingdom

* largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held in Birmingham
* it is one of the cities premier community events with the Irish community numbering about 140 thousand .
* Manchester hosts two Irish festivals in the week prior to St. Patrick’s Day, includes and Irish Market
　


Florence, Italy

* holds a 10 day festival names “Festa Irlandese” includes live music, food and drink
* the food includes potatoes soup, beef in Guinness, smoked salmon and of course gallons of Stout


Oslo, Norway

* the Irish community of Oslo celebrates with a parade though the city
* ends at the Town Hall for more entertainment

Germany

* Munich is the only German city to hold a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
* Started in 1996


Denmark

* The St. Patrick’s Day 3 Legged Charity Race started in Copenhagen in 2001.
*The race is organized by the Irish expert community and is sponsored by the Carlsberg brewery and the Irish pub owners of Copenhagen


Russia
* March 15^th 1992 Muscovites witnessed the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade
* has grown each year and sponsors such as Pepsi and Guinness have joined in

Tokyo, Japan

*parade is organized by the Irish Network Japan (INJ) and was first held in 1992 with the support of the then Irish Ambassador to Japan, Mr. James Sharkey
* The Japanese love a good party and they are particularly fond of all things Irish - including Guinness at about $7.00 a pint !

United States

* early Irish immigrants like the English, Dutch, German, French and the likes, brought their traditions in United States.
* it was not until 1737 that the immigrants really celebrated the Day.
* The Charitable Irish Society of Boston organized what was the first Saint Patrick's Day Parade in the colonies on 17 March 1737.
* The first celebration of Saint Patrick's Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1756, and New York's first Saint Patrick's Day Parade was held on 17 March 1762 by Irish soldiers in the British Army
* many people have also made the holiday a celebration of the color green.
* people, besides wearing green on that day, may also stage dinner parties featuring all green foods. Corned beef and cabbage is the most common meal eaten in the United States for St. Patrick's Day, even though historically, corned beef and cabbage is an American (rather than a traditionally Irish) meal.


Philadelphia

* St. Patrick's Parade is the 2nd oldest Parade in the Country, topped only by the New York City Parade.
* first documented St. Patrick's Day Celebration Parade in Philadelphia was held in 1771, marking over 230 continuous years of celebrations.


New York City

* New York parade has become the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the world. In 2006 more than 150,000

Seattle, Washington

* celebrates St Patrick's Day in grand style, with a full week of activities.
* Festivities kick off with the proclamation of Irish Week. Due to Seattle's northern state climates, like Ireland, the city received many Irish immigrant
　
　


Lynn

st patrick wasn't even irish!
in fact he was a captured slave of him. the original colour was blue! not green.
back in 1990, my husband's cousin was working as a senior registrar in chichester hospital, and he told me it's a big day for them, because of all the fights. i'm sure it's the same for all the u.k.

sparkly wrote:st patrick wasn't even irish!
in fact he was a captured slave of him. the original colour was blue! not green.
back in 1990, my husband's cousin was working as a senior registrar in chichester hospital, and he told me it's a big day for them, because of all the fights. i'm sure it's the same for all the u.k.

Hello

Many traditions start on an ODD path. What it I guess comes down to is how we celebrate it and embrace the traditions .


Lynn

hi lynn,
yeah the buddha was indian.
i think its a shame that st patrick seems to be about green food colouring, and the man is forgotten.

sparkly wrote:hi lynn,
yeah the buddha was indian.
i think its a shame that st patrick seems to be about green food colouring, and the man is forgotten.

Hello

Yes in ways it is yes, but I too see it as putting out possitive energy as when a group gathers in celebration that energy is possitive. So that Spirit I feel does see the intent is there.

Like one's that see all the images of God and Angels as only WHITE, its the thought that counts.

Lynn

Thanks for the Info I never understood St Patricks day, all I've ever known is that the majority of people use this day as an excuse to go out and get drunk to 'celebrate' it?

hi lynn and vi,
while i don't mean it so much matters about the green or the blue, what i mean is saints are usually people who have struggled and railed against great difficulties for themselves and for others, and it's a pity when their message devolves into superficiality and a "piss up".
"St Patrick's Breast-Plate", is a prayer he wrote. interesting pagan/ christian blend if you ask me, though it is seen as a victory over paganism lol.