A history lesson of leprechauns
For many people, St. Patrick’s Day is a day to drink green beer, garner kisses because of Irish heritage and pinch those who refuse to wear green.
The real history of St. Patrick’s Day developed hundreds of years ago with the Irish paying homage to the Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick.
He was credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.
The intended meaning of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
The holiday is celebrated on March 17 because it is rumored to be the day St. Patrick died.
St. Patrick’s Day has become a holiday celebrated nationally and as a result has become Americanized. St. Patrick’s Day has many falsities surrounding its celebration.
• The traditional Irish dish, corned beef and cabbage, is popular around St. Patrick’s Day. Cows were rare and only the rich could afford beef, so this dish was actually never common in Ireland.
• Leprechauns are small, fabled creatures whose legend is attributed to Celtic tales of fairies with magic powers. They were small and moody and rumored to be guarding a pot of gold. Cute leprechaun figures were the Americanized version.
• The Blarney stone sits atop the Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland at the bottom of a parapet. A person has to bend over backwards to kiss it. According to legend, accomplishing this feat grants the title “the gift of gab”.
• The color green is adorned on St. Patrick’s Day, as celebrants wear green hats, clothes, shoes and drink green beer. In Chicago, they even die the river green. The color green is not so popular in Ireland — they actually wear green as little as possible because it was considered the favorite color of the mischievous fairies.
• Wearing the shamrock is also an American tradition.
The Fargo-Moorhead community will have the opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the 2007 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 17.
The parade begins at 3 p.m. at the Great Northern Brewery and will head south on Broadway.
Another event at the Sons of Norway is a St. Patrick’s Day party with a corned beef and cabbage dinner. The event is from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, March 17.
For those who are headed out of town for Spring Break, make sure to check out the events happening for St. Patrick’s Day.