There are so many symbols and items that we attribute to the Irish and St. Patrick's Day, celtic knots for one, alcohol like Bailey's and Guinness, shamrocks, Claddagh rings, leprechauns, and faeries to name a few more. So, I thought, since I'm part Irish and I identify with my paddy roots, and my grandmother's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, and one of my ancestors hung as a 'Black and Tan', I figured what the hell! Here are a few Irish tidbits I wanted to share in celebration of St. Patrick's Day!
According to Wikipedia!
History ~
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Little is known of Patrick's early life,
though he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy
Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Christian
church in Ireland. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and
taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on
the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown.
According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from
captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon
returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a
priest.
In 432, he again said that he was called
back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianize the Irish from their
native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included
using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the
Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461,
and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were
other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the
principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish church.
I've read conflicting information about St. Patrick, so I'm not sure if the history listed above is totally accurate.
Who Celebrates ~
Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in
the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and in
Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish Diaspora, especially in
places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia,
and New Zealand, among others. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most
widely celebrated saint's day in the world.
In Canada ~
- one of the longest-running St. Patrick's Day parades, in North America, is held each year in Montreal, Quebec, and has been since 1824
Wherever you go and
whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.
Go n-eírí an bóthar
leat.
May the road rise with you.
May
the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
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.
A dead hand is believed to be a cure for all diseases. Many times sick people were brought to a house where a corpse was laid out, so that the hand of the dead might be laid on them.
The spirit of the dead last buried has to watch in the churchyard until another corpse is buried. Duties include carrying water for the dead that are waiting in Purgatory. This keeps them very busy. Purgatory is a very hot place. This superstition has been known to cause fights when two funeral processions try to enter the same churchyard at the same time. No one wants their loved one to be the last buried and have to perform these duties.
It is not safe to pick up an unbaptized child without making the sign of the cross.
It is unlucky to accept a lock of hair from a lover.
If a chair falls when a person stands up, it is an unlucky omen.
Anyway, to all the Irish out there have a great weekend! And, don't forget to wear something green it's good luck! ~ Happy Yaoi Hunting! Blak Rayne
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