St.
Patrick, as legend would have it, is an Irish icon. In reality, St. Patrick
wasn't even Irish, but he came to Ireland and was made famous by converting
the masses to Christianity. He also made a name for himself by driving
the snakes out of Ireland....really, just sent them right into the ocean.
So all in all, St. Patrick became a hero in Ireland, so much so that there
are no fewer than 60 churches and cathedrals named for him in Ireland alone.
Perhaps the most famous of these is the giant St.
Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, the grounds of which bear the mark of
the site on which St. Patrick baptized his converts. In addition to being
a namesake, the Irish celebrate his name and work every March 17. This
celebration has been adopted in other parts of the world as a holiday as
well, giving everyone the opportunity to be a wee bit Irish themselves
on that day.
Green is associated with
Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the
shamrock. Leprechauns are also associated with this holiday, although I'm
not sure why. Leprechauns of legend are actually mean little creatures,
with the exception of the Lucky Charms guy. They were probably added later
on because capitalists needed something cute to put on greeting cards.
What's good luck on
Saint Patrick's Day?
Finding a four-leaf clover
(that's double the good
luck it usually is).
Wearing green.
(School children have started
a little tradition of their own -- they pinch classmates who don't wear
green on this holiday).
Kissing the blarney stone.
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Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone is a
stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village
of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift
of persuasive eloquence (blarney).
The castle was built in
1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18
feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's
troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle.
The origins of the Blarney
Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old
woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from
drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability
to speak sweetly and convincingly.
It's tough to reach the
stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have
to lie on their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars
for support. Can you imagine kissing something that has had people's lips
all over it for 500 years? Yuck!
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