| St. Patrick's Day |
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| Reference: The Holiday Spot |
St Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland. True, he was not a born Irish.
But he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage, mostly through
his service across Ireland of the 5th century.
Indeed, Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. Through active preaching, he made important
converts even among the royal families. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several
times,but escaped each time.
For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set
up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion.
He developed a native clergy, fostered the growth of monasticism, established dioceses, and held church
councils.
By the end of the 7th century Patrick had become a legendary figure, and the legends have continued to
grow since then. There are many legends associated with St Patrick. It is said that he used the three-
leafed shamrock
to explain the concept of the Trinity; which refers to the combination of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Hence its strong association with his day and name. Legend also has that, Saint Patrick had put the curse
of God on venomous snakes in Ireland. And he drove all the snakes into the sea where they drowned.
True, these are mostly legends. But, after some 1500 years, these legends have been inseparably
combined with the facts, and together they have helped us know much about the Saint and the spirit behind
celebration of the day.
Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for over 20 years. He died on March 17, AD 461. That day has been
commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. The day's spirit is to celebrate the universal baptization of
Ireland.
Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday, or,
rather, 'be an Irish Day '. The Irish has borne it as part of their national tradition everywhere they populated
and prospered.
The Catholic feast day for this most loved of Irish saints has become a holiday in celebration of the Irish
and Irish culture. The leprechaun, a Celtic fairy, has become entrenched as a chief symbol for this holiday,
as is the shamrock, an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit. It is fitting that this holiday should fall at
the time of the year when the return of spring begins to seem at hand.
But why the icons like the green color, the tri-leafed shamrock, the leprechaun, or the pot of gold and
Blarney's stone- all came to be associated with the celebration of this Day? What do they all mean?
In written English, the first reference to the Shamrock dates from 1571, and in written Irish, as seamrog,
from 1707. As a badge to be worn on the lapel on the Saint's feast day, it is referred to for the first time as
late as 1681. The
Shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan's Parliament in the 1770's,
before '98 and The Act of Union. So rebellious did the wearing of the Shamrock eventually appear, that in
Queen
Victoria's time Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. At that time it became the custom for civilians to
wear a little paper cross colored red and green. As a symbol of Ireland it has long been integrated into the
symbol of the United Kingdom, along with the Rose, the Thistle and the Leek of England, Scotland and
Wales. So today, on St. Patrick's Day, a member of the British Royal Family presents Shamrock to the Irish
Guards regiment of the British Army.
Three is Ireland's magic number. Hence the Shamrock. Crone, Mother and Virgin. Love, Valour and Wit..
Faith, Hope and Charity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Numbers played an important role in Celtic
symbolism. Three was the most sacred and magical number. It multiplies to nine, which is sacred to Brigit.
Three may have signified totality: past, present and future OR behind, before and here OR sky, earth and
underworld. �Everything good in Ireland comes in threes. The rhythm of story telling in the Irish tradition is
based on threefold repetition. This achieves both intensification and exaggeration. Even today in quality
pub talk, a raconteur can rarely resist a third adjective, especially if it means stretching a point.�"Three
accomplishments well regarded in Ireland: a clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces."
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.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney.
Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle
was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to
thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle.
�The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman
cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under
the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. �It's tough to reach the stone -- it's
between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to stretch to their back and bend backward
(and downward), holding iron bars for support.
But he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage, mostly through
his service across Ireland of the 5th century.
Indeed, Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. Through active preaching, he made important
converts even among the royal families. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several
times,but escaped each time.
For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set
up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion.
He developed a native clergy, fostered the growth of monasticism, established dioceses, and held church
councils.
By the end of the 7th century Patrick had become a legendary figure, and the legends have continued to
grow since then. There are many legends associated with St Patrick. It is said that he used the three-
leafed shamrock
to explain the concept of the Trinity; which refers to the combination of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Hence its strong association with his day and name. Legend also has that, Saint Patrick had put the curse
of God on venomous snakes in Ireland. And he drove all the snakes into the sea where they drowned.
True, these are mostly legends. But, after some 1500 years, these legends have been inseparably
combined with the facts, and together they have helped us know much about the Saint and the spirit behind
celebration of the day.
Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for over 20 years. He died on March 17, AD 461. That day has been
commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. The day's spirit is to celebrate the universal baptization of
Ireland.
Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday, or,
rather, 'be an Irish Day '. The Irish has borne it as part of their national tradition everywhere they populated
and prospered.
The Catholic feast day for this most loved of Irish saints has become a holiday in celebration of the Irish
and Irish culture. The leprechaun, a Celtic fairy, has become entrenched as a chief symbol for this holiday,
as is the shamrock, an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit. It is fitting that this holiday should fall at
the time of the year when the return of spring begins to seem at hand.
But why the icons like the green color, the tri-leafed shamrock, the leprechaun, or the pot of gold and
Blarney's stone- all came to be associated with the celebration of this Day? What do they all mean?
In written English, the first reference to the Shamrock dates from 1571, and in written Irish, as seamrog,
from 1707. As a badge to be worn on the lapel on the Saint's feast day, it is referred to for the first time as
late as 1681. The
Shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan's Parliament in the 1770's,
before '98 and The Act of Union. So rebellious did the wearing of the Shamrock eventually appear, that in
Queen
Victoria's time Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. At that time it became the custom for civilians to
wear a little paper cross colored red and green. As a symbol of Ireland it has long been integrated into the
symbol of the United Kingdom, along with the Rose, the Thistle and the Leek of England, Scotland and
Wales. So today, on St. Patrick's Day, a member of the British Royal Family presents Shamrock to the Irish
Guards regiment of the British Army.
Three is Ireland's magic number. Hence the Shamrock. Crone, Mother and Virgin. Love, Valour and Wit..
Faith, Hope and Charity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Numbers played an important role in Celtic
symbolism. Three was the most sacred and magical number. It multiplies to nine, which is sacred to Brigit.
Three may have signified totality: past, present and future OR behind, before and here OR sky, earth and
underworld. �Everything good in Ireland comes in threes. The rhythm of story telling in the Irish tradition is
based on threefold repetition. This achieves both intensification and exaggeration. Even today in quality
pub talk, a raconteur can rarely resist a third adjective, especially if it means stretching a point.�"Three
accomplishments well regarded in Ireland: a clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces."
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.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney.
Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle
was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to
thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle.
�The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman
cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under
the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. �It's tough to reach the stone -- it's
between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to stretch to their back and bend backward
(and downward), holding iron bars for support.
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