St. Patrick's Day is
Ireland's greatest national holiday as well as a holy day. The date
marks the anniversary of the death of the missionary who became the
patron saint of Ireland. It is a happy holiday for the Irish wherever
they may be - in Dublin, New York City, Boston, or San Francisco. The
day celebrated with parades, speeches, festive dinners, and dances.
Green is the color of the day, with thousands of little cloth shamrocks
worn even by those whose forefathers never touched the shores of
Ireland.
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents
near the end of the fourth century. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was
taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his
family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six
years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors
and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for
solace, becoming a devout Christian.
The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in
the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military
marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music,
the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as
well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army. Suddenly, annual
St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans,
as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In
1948, President Truman attended New York City 's St. Patrick's Day
parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight
stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.
Leprechauns
Leprechauns are little make-believe fairies from Ireland. They are
the little old men who are shoemakers for the fairies. They usually
stand about 2 feet tall. Treasure hunters can often track down a
leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. The legend is that if
you catch one you can force him to tell you where he hides his gold.
The Leprechaun
By Robert Dwyer Joyce
(1830-83)
In a shady nook one moonlit night,
A leprahaun I spied
In scarlet coat and cap of green,
A cruiskeen by his side.
'Twas tick, tack, tick, his hammer went,
Upon a weeny shoe,
And I laughed to think of a purse of gold,
But the fairy was laughing too.
With tip-toe step and beating heart,
Quite softly I drew night.
There was mischief in his merry face,
A twinkle in his eye;
He hammered and sang with tiny voice,
And sipped the mountain dew;
Oh! I laughed to think he was caught at last,
But the fairy was laughing, too.
As quick as thought I grasped the elf,
"Your fairy purse," I cried,
"My purse?" said he, "'tis in her hand,
That lady by your side."
I turned to look, the elf was off,
And what was I to do?
Oh! I laughed to think what a fool I'd been,
And, the fairy was laughing too.
The
Jig's Up
The leprechauns are laughing
For their day is finally here
The legends and the folklore
Seep through the atmosphere
The dancers are all ready
An Irish jig is in the air
The walls of the pubs are bursting
There is not an empty chair
As the night becomes the morning,
The barman leads the song
From Danny Boy to Irish Eyes
The serenade goes on.
Then a husky voice is heard to say
Make this your final stein
For St. Patrick's day is over
At it's time Gentlemen it's time.
The
Luck Of The Irish
Finding a four-leaf
clover
The wearing of the green
Kissing the blarney stone
Blarney Stone
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. The 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 difficult reach the
stone. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward or downward,
holding iron bars for support.
St. Patrick's Day
Pinch
School children have started a little tradition of their own. They
pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday. Wearing green is
strictly a U.S. custom, as the color green is not popular in Ireland.
Green is connected to the old green flag and a time when Ireland was not
free. Green is also a color connected with hope and nature.
Irish
Blessings
May Christ and His saints stand
between you and harm.
May and her Son
St. Patrick with his staff.
Martin with his mantle.
Bridget with her vail.
Michael with his shield.
And God over all with His strong right hand.
If a fairy, or a man, or a woman
Hath overlooked thee.
There are three greater in heaven
Who will cast all evil from thee
Into the great and terrible sea.
Pray to them, and to the seven angels of God,
And they will watch over thee.
Toasts
Here's to absent friends and here's twice to absent enemies.
Here's to the light heart and the heavy hand.
Thirst is a shameless disease so here's to a shameful cure.
Here's to a wet night and a dry morning.
May we always have a clean shirt, a clean conscience, and a
bob in the pocket.
May you be across Heaven's threshold before the old boy knows
you're dead.
Superstitions
Moon, moon
tell unto me,
When my true love I shall see?
What fine clothes am I to wear?
How many children will I bear?
For if my love comes not to me,
Dark and dismal my life will be.
This verse, recited by a maiden as she gathered special herbs by
the light of the first full moon of the new year, could reveal a
future husband and cause the girl to have a true dream about the
man--if she first complied with certain requirements. With a
black-handled knife she had to cut out three pieces of earth,
bring them home, tie them in her left stocking, and secure the
bundle with her right garter. The completed package then had to
be placed upon her pillow.
When yawning, make the sign of the cross instantly over your
mouth, or the evil spirit will make a rush down and take up his
abode with you.
It is unlucky to offer your right hand in salutation, for
thee is an old say, "A curse with the left hand to those we
hate, but the right hand to those we honor."
If the palm of your hand itches you will be getting money; if
the elbow, you will be changing beds.
Breaking a mirror brought seven years of bad luck, while two
people washing hands in the same basin at the same time courted
disaster.
Sayings
A man that can't laugh at himself should be given a mirror.
A man takes a drink; the drink takes a drink; the drink takes
the man.
A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one
swig.
Morning is the time to pity the sober. The way they're
feeling then is the best they're going to feel all day.
You can lead the horse to the well, but you can't make him
drink.
Better the coldness of a friend than the sweetness of an
enemy.
Be nice to them on the way up. You might meet them all on the
way down.
If a man fools me once, shame on him. If he fools me twice,
shame on me.
Let your anger set the sun and not rise again with it.
Irish Humor
What do you call an Irishman who knows how to control his
wife?
A bachelor.
***
Definition of an Irish husband:
He hasn't kissed his wife for twenty years, but he will kill any
man who does.
***
Courtship is a time during which the girl decides whether she
can do better or not.
***
Dinny was standing in the street the other day when an
English chap came up to him and said,
"I say old chap, could you show me the way to the nearest
boozer?"
Says Dinny, hopefully,
You're looking at him."
***
An Irishman who had a little to much to drink is driving home
from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving
violently all over the road. A cop pulls him over.
"So," says the cop to the driver, "where have you been?"
"Why, I've been to the pub of course" slurs the drunk.
"Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to
drink this evening".
"I did all right," the drunk says with a smile.
"Did you know," says the cop, standing straight and folding his
arms across his chest, "that a few intersections back, your wife
fell out of your car?"
"Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk. "For a minute there, I
thought I'd gone deaf."
Irish Tradition
Many people will be eating Irish food such as Irish Stew and
Corned Beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. Corned Beef is not
an Irish dish. It is what Americans think the Irish eat. A more
traditional meal would be ham and cabbage or bacon and cabbage.
Some say that in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day the traditional
green beer is prominent. However, in Ireland, many years ago,
St. Patrick's Day is considered a holy day and Pubs were not
open for business. There were no parades, no drinking or wearing
green. Green was considered an unlucky color.
Irish Coffee
1 shot
Irish Whiskey
1 tbsp Sugar
6 oz. Coffee
Whipped Cream for garnish
Pre-warm
a stemmed glass. Add the whiskey.
Add the sugar and stir in the coffee.
Float the whipped cream on top.
Drink the coffee through the cream.
Do not stir after adding the cream.
My Wild Irish Rose
My Wild Irish
Rose,
The sweetest flower that grows.
You may search everywhere,
But none can compare with my wild Irish Rose.
My Wild Irish Rose,
The dearest flower that grows.
And someday for my sake,
She may let me take,
The bloom from my wild Irish Rose
A Little Irish Cookbook
(Little Books)
By John Murphy, Karen Bailey
(Illustrator) Reviews
Great simple recipes plus the
traditional St. Patty's Day meal of Corned Beef, etc. Includes
personal memories of the author about when dishes were served as
well as any regional variations.
The Complete Book of Irish Country Cooking
Traditional and Wholesome Recipes from Ireland
By Darina Allen, Regina
Sexton (Introduction)
Availability: This title
usually ships within 4-6 weeks. Please note that titles
occasionally go out of print or publishers run out of stock. We
will notify you within 2-3 weeks if we have trouble obtaining
this title. Fresh and wholesome, comfortingly nostalgic, Irish
food is famous for its heartiness and flavor. Now Darina
Allen--the "Queen of Irish Cooking" who cooked breakfast for
President Clinton and 150 guests last St. Patrick's
Day--presents more than 250 wondrous Irish recipes, from
traditional festival food to manor fare.
Leprechaun's St. Patrick's Day
By Sarah Kirwan Blazek, James
Rice (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages
4-8 Reviews
While leprechauns play
pranks, such as stealing the breakfast bread and getting the
Lord Mayor's carriage stuck in a ditch, an Irish family goes to
Dublin to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Using pedestrian verse,
the story is choppy and lacks a strong plot. The ink and pastel
illustrations have a clumsy feel.
St. Patrick's Day
By Gail Gibbons Reading level: Ages
4-8 Reviews
In addition to the story of
St. Patrick's life, here is information about how St. Patrick's
Day is celebrated. There are decorations from shamrocks to
shillelaghs. People give cards, share meals, and wear green to
honor Ireland, the Emerald Isle. And there are parades! Included
are six legends about Patrick. Full color.
Crafts for St. Patrick's Day
Holiday Crafts for Kids
By Kathy Ross, Sharon Lane Holm (Illustrator) Reading level:
Baby-Preschool Reviews
The festive holiday provides
the inspiration for twenty projects (some more original and
interesting than others) that kids can make from basic household
materials. Although the clearly worded step-by-step written and
illustrated instructions are simple enough for kids to follow,
the book's narrow scope will likely make it of more interest to
teachers looking for holiday project ideas.
Leprechaun Gold
By Teresa Bateman, Rosanne
Litzinger (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages
4-8 Reviews
Donald O'Dell saves a
leprechaun from drowning and is granted enough gold to last him
a lifetime. But because he is a kindhearted humanitarian, Donald
refuses the generous gift. After many unsuccessful endeavors to
leave the gold for Donald, the leprechaun uses another tactic.
He tricks Donald into meeting, falling in love with, and
marrying Maureen, who has both heart and hair made of gold. The
leprechaun finally succeeds in repaying Donald for his heroic
act. This well-crafted story is told in a robust, lively manner.
The soft, gentle illustrations rendered in pastel watercolors
give the book a slightly surrealistic feeling; the combination
of story and artwork creates a visually appealing book. This
engaging tale told in the tradition of the fairy tale is a
top-notch candidate for reading aloud to individuals or groups.
