Have A Green Day!

What I always heard was that the Irish in Ireland think we Americans are nuts, celebrating St. Pat's like we tend to.  But, I went looking for photos to prove this contention and it appears that they have come over to our way of celebrating.  

 It appears that a party is a party.  I saw no sober religious observations in my search.

St. Patrick's Day 2012: Facts, Myths, and Traditions

Who Was the Man Behind St. Patrick's Day?

For starters, the real St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves.

What's more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy, Freeman noted.

At 16, Patrick's world turned: He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years. 

"It was just horrible for him," Freeman said. "But he got a religious conversion while he was there and became a very deeply believing Christian."

St. Patrick's Disembodied Voices

According to folklore, a voice came to Patrick in his dreams, telling him to escape. He found passage on a pirate ship back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.

The voice then told him to go back to Ireland.

"He gets ordained as a priest from a bishop, and goes back and spends the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity," Freeman said.

Patrick's work in Ireland was tough—he was constantly beaten by thugs, harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors. After he died on March 17, 461, Patrick was largely forgotten.

But slowly, mythology grew around Patrick, and centuries later he was honored as the patron saint of Ireland, Freeman noted.

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St. Patrick's Day: Made in America?

Until the 1970s, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a minor religious holiday. A priest would acknowledge the feast day, and families would celebrate with a big meal, but that was about it.

"St. Patrick's Day was basically invented in America by Irish-Americans," Freeman said.

It's an interesting and informative article. This family  doesn't usually make any fuss about it, except to take advantage of corned beef sales.  That's another thing that is different, the Irish, I hear, have lamb on the day.  Corned beef is one of those sort of Jewish/American things. We live in the heart of the melting pot after all!

I can tell you another amusing "Irish" story. Those fishermen's sweaters in cream colored wool, with all the cables and bobbles?  They were not traditional.  They were contracted to be made and merchandised by a Jewish guy!  Real fisherman's sweaters were usually navy blue and of rather more restrained surface patterning.

Top fake, bottom real.

I have only one characteristic memory of my own about the green day. One year in Jr. High I went nuts and dyed all of my clothing green.  I did a poor job, in the washing machine at home.  My clothes were stained a sort of washed out green that year.  I suppose I drove my parents around the bend, but if so, I don't remember there being any amazement that I had done this thing. Maybe they were expecting trouble at any time.

🍀🍀🍀 

And just to get you in the proper mood!

Or?

 Oy! And Begorrah! Party on I guess!