All Roads Lead To Green

The color associated with St. Patrick’s Day was originally blue!  Can you believe that?

But, over the years, green became the color that is synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day and, yes, we must all wear something with green in it today as otherwise, we might be pinched!

St. Patrcik’s Day tends to be celebrated a lot in countries other than Ireland, which is where the holiday was born.  It is a huge public holiday in Ireland with parades and dancing and lots of Guinness, we feel sure!

St. Patrick was actually born in the fourth century Roman Britain to wealthy Christian parents.  At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave.  While captive, he was told in a dream by God to flee from captivity and board a ship to Britain.  He was obedient to this voice and, upon returning to Britain, he joined the Church and studied to be a priest.

In 432, he was taken back to Ireland but this time not as a slave but by God.  He was a bishop and was sent to Christianize the Irish – to teach them the folly of their belief in many gods.  He was there nearly thirty years evangelizing the church and it is there that he died on 17 March, 461.  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.

Our chum, Wendy sent along this Irish Friendship Blessing and in the spirit of remembering St. Patrick we want to send it along today to all of you.  It goes like this:

May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!  Celebrate the “green“!

PS  See here for “A Touch of The Blarney” – some great recipes for St. Patrick’s Day!