Transcript St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day
History and Traditions
Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick is the patron saint Ireland.
of He converted many Irish to Christianity in the fifth century.
St. Patrick incorporated traditional Celtic symbols, like the bonfire and the sun , into his Christian teachings.
St. Patrick died on March 17 , circa 462.
St. Patrick’s Day is the saint’s feast day and has evolved from a religious holiday celebration .
to a worldwide
St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
• Christians attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon , although pubs in Ireland were closed on March 17 by law until 1995.
• The rules of Lent are waived eat Irish bacon and cabbage .
and revelers traditionally • The first St. Patty’s Day parade soldiers City in the British army on March 17, 1762.
occurred when Irish marched through New York • The Chicago River 1962.
has been dyed green every year since
St. Patrick’s Day Symbols
The shamrock , or “seamroy,” symbolizes the rebirth of spring. It was later adopted as a symbol of Irish nationalism.
The Celtic Cross – a sun (from the Celts) super imposed on a cross (from the Christians) The leprechaun , or “lobaircin” was a cranky, “small-bodied fellow” of Celtic folklore, given its “cute” features and popularized in the United States by Walt Disney.
St. Patrick’s Day Symbols
St. Patrick never drove snakes from Ireland; the story is a metaphor for driving paganism from the island.
Music has always been an important part of Irish life. Irish music is produced with instruments like the fiddle, the uilleann pipes, the tin whistle, and the bodhran.
The traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage has been modified in the United States. Irish bacon has been replaced with corned beef for the annual feast.
Irish Names
• There are – Corey – Douglas 34 million Irish ancestry, second only to German.
• Some Irish names: – Gaelic for “ravine” – from the Gaelic name Dubhghlas (“dark river or blood river”) U.S. residents who claim – Brent meant “hill” in Celtic – Bryan – Kevin – derived from an English place name which – possibly related to the Old Celtic element bre meaning “hill; high, noble” – from Old Irish coem (“kind, gentle, handsome”) and gein (“birth”)