Tag Archives: St. Patrick’s Day

Putting the Green in St. Patrick’s Day

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happy st patricks day shamrock

Long considered a patron saint of Ireland, the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in the year 493 has long been celebrated in the United States of America. Such observances marked the beginning of what was soon to become a national holiday, when in 1737, those of Irish descent joined in to celebrate Irish roots and Ireland in general. In 1780, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Philadelphia officially observed the day, followed several years later by New York City Irish ‘Sons’. Ever since then, American citizens, especially those of Irish descent, have recognized St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday.

Celebrated in America on March 17th every year, St. Patrick’s Day is marked with green shamrocks and decorations, representing the green fields of Ireland, and with Irish beverages and foods. Apparently, St. Patrick used a shamrock to illustrate the concept of the Trinity; the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. He used the three separate lobes of the shamrock as an example of the three in one concept. Since then, the shamrock has been the emblem of the Irish people and few have ever left without carrying a shamrock or a piece of clover with them to their new country.

No St. Patrick’s Day feast would be complete without corned beef and cabbage. Beer and other beverages make the rounds in pubs and homes not only in the United States, but throughout the world as well. St. Patrick’s Day parades are especially common in Irish communities, as are games and local sporting events. Irish dances and jigs, as well as singing songs like “Paddy Whack” and “Rocky Road to Dublin” mark this special day.

Today, Irish-Americans and others celebrate the day by wearing green, and it’s common for schoolchildren to pinch each other if they lack that particular color in their wardrobe on that so very green day. Households decorate with green streamers, shamrocks and hats and play Irish songs while pots of Irish stew bubble on the stovetop. New York City is known for it’s huge parade on St. Patrick’s Day. Thousands of Irish-Americans wishing to celebrate the day with a Mass at the famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, as well as thousands more lining the streets around it, gather every year. Bands, bagpipes and Irish dancers provide entertainment while bands play “The Wearin’ of the Green and “Spig o’Shillelagh’ to the delight of crowds.

March 17th is known throughout the country as a ‘Great Day for the Irish’. Whenever groups of Irish congregate, passersby will hear terms like “Erin go bragh”, which means “Ireland forever’, or Beannact Dia leat”, which means ‘God bless you’. Even the United States Postal Service recognizes the holiday, and mail posted that day gets a special Shamrock cancellation postmark. Every year, tons of shamrocks, with the dirt of the old country still clinging to their roots, arrive in the United States for planting on St. Patrick’s Day.

The ‘wearing of the green’ has long been a tradition in America in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and local businesses get in on the fun by sometimes offering free dry cleaning to green garments or even discounts to those who enter their store ‘wearing the green’. Many car wash owners will wash green cars for no charge. In 1959, President Eisenhower donned a green tie, while other prominent officials wore less obvious, though green, socks, met the President of Ireland, Sean O’Kelly, at the airport with a long green carpet. During the congressional meetings, all the delegates wore a green carnation in the lapel of their jackets. It was only afterward that O’Kelly leaned toward the president to mention the fact that he didn’t particularly like the color green!

At any rate, St. Patrick’s Day continues to be celebrated with the color green, in schools, restaurants, pubs and community halls throughout the country to honor Ireland’s St. Patrick. Every St. Patrick’s Day is filled with songs, shamrocks and Irish cooking, much to the delight of celebrants everywhere.

What’s The Blarney Stone

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Blarney Stone

Kiss Me, I’m Irish (Especially on St. Patty’s Day)!

The traditions of the Irish people are steeped in rich history, and have added many interesting customs and sayings to American culture. The phrase “Kiss me, I’m Irish,” one of the most popular T-shirt slogans on St. Patrick’s Day, is a fun example of Irish tradition rooted in history.

“Kiss me, I’m Irish” is closely related to the legend of the Blarney Stone. This world-famous attraction is found at the Blarney Castle, located near the Irish village of Blarney and the city of Cork. According to legend, one who kisses the stone will receive the gift of eloquent speech, or the “gift of gab”. More than a quarter-million people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, likely making it the world’s most unhygienic landmark!

Today’s Blarney Castle was constructed in 1446, but the history of the Blarney Stone begins long before that time. One legend says it was the rock Moses struck with his staff to give water to the Israelites as they wandered in the desert following their exodus from Egypt. Another claims the stone is Jacob’s Pillow, referred to in Genesis 28. Yet another tale says the stone was the coronation stone of Scottish monarchs and later brought to Ireland by missionaries.

A more widely accepted story about the Blarney Stone is that it was a gift to Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster, from Robert the Bruce. McCarthy had helped the Scots defeat the English in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The stone was incorporated into Cormac McCarthy’s fortress, Blarney Castle, and became known as the Blarney Stone. More than a century later, one of Cormac’s descendants, King Dermot McCarthy, installed the stone in an enlarged castle that he constructed.

The practice of kissing the Blarney Stone is linked to another local legend, that of an old woman who was saved from drowning by a king of Munster. As a reward, she cast a spell that if he would kiss a stone on the castle’s top, he would gain speech that would win over all who heard it.

Because of its difficult location in a wall below the battlements at the top of the castle, kissing the Blarney Stone requires a bit of gymnastic ability. Participants were once dangled by their ankles from the edge of the castle walk, resulting in many tragedies. Modern guiderails and protective crossbars have since been installed, but the ritual still requires some courage. You must first sit with your back to the stone wall while someone sits on your legs or grips your feet. Next, leaning backward and down into the gap while grasping two iron rails, you slowly lower yourself until your head is even with the stone.

Just how long the practice of kissing the Blarney Stone has gone on is not known, but for the Irish it’s a fun way to get attention. Anyone with even a hint of Irish blood believes he or she has the luck of the Blarney Stone on St. Patrick’s Day, so “Kiss me, I’m Irish” has become another aspect of the celebration. After all, isn’t kissing a Irish hottie better than kissing a dirty stone?