Thursday 17 March 2011

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's day! It's noon o'clock here, but soon, according to Lenny's calculations, it will be this time:


Yes, drinkin' time.

But why do we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? As children, some of us were probably told that we celebrate when Saint Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland. That doesn't make a lot of sense, so
it's time for some short-form education!

Saint Patrick was a Roman Priest who came to Ireland to convert the celtic pagans, which we know as the "snakes" he “drove out," to Christians. He used the iconic shamrock to explain the holy trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) to the heathens of Ireland. I'm no Catholic, so I can't really provide any further info on what all that means either, but it's a big deal.
After his death, Saint Patrick was held in high esteem by the Irish, and continues to be recognized as integral figure to this day by the Irish Church.

After his canonization, a feast day was regularly held in his honor in Ireland. Once the Irish began to immigrate, the tradition spread to North America, and throughout the New World.

Over time the meaning of Saint Patrick's Day has changed from that of a purely religious matter, to a celebration of Irish culture.

And now you know. So let's get to honoring our Irish forefathers! The sooner, the better.

And if you're in Grande Prairie, I'll see you at the Crown and Anchor at five o'clock sharp!

Billy Dean - Billy the Kid

1 comment:

Chelsea Ribbon said...

That's a little bit of history I was unaware of. Cool! Thanks!