Happy St Patrick’s Day

The celebrations on March 17 first began back in 1631, when the Church created a Feast Day in homage to St. Patrick. Having been the Patron Saint of Ireland, he died around the fifth century, which means that his passing came 12 centuries prior to the modern version of the holiday first being observed.

FUN FACTS:

• Saint Patrick didn’t wear green. …
• Despite his Irish notoriety, Saint Patrick was British. …
• According to Irish legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he was first introducing Christianity to Ireland.

Anyone remember this McDonald’s commercial from the late 70s promoting a Shamrock Shake? I do because it was forever seared into my 5 year old brain and still causes the occasional nightmare. (excuse me while I go poke my eyes out)

Here in Memphis, Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale Street hosts the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade down on Beale Street, which is a HUGE tradition with a lot of locals. It was held this past weekend, and I totally missed it…again, keeping my attendance streak at a big fat 0. (Not that I don’t like it, but I almost always have something else going every time the parade is held.)

There are a TON of great activities happening in and around Memphis for St. Patrick’s Day, and blogger Aisling Maki has an amazing round up over on her blog, “Ilovememphisblog.com“. Go check her out. She’s an amazing writer, blogger and Memphian who more than likely doesn’t even know I exist but that’s ok cause I’m still gonna promote her anyways ’cause she seems really cool and, “women supporting women”.

Has anyone ever actually asked why we wear the color green on St. Patrick’s Day? Well, I posed that question to the innerwebs, and the overall answer I kept pulling up is that according to Irish folklore, leprechauns wore green, and if anyone else wore that color they would be invisible to leprechauns. Leprechauns are ornery lil toot heads who like to pinch anyone they can see. Therefore, by wearing green clothing, a person should avoid being pinched.

Whether you really get into it or not, I wish you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and would serve you a green beer with some corned beef and cabbage if you were here. No matter where you are, I leave you with this Irish blessing: 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.