Solid Lifters
In Memoriam
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I don't celebrate this holiday at all, anymore. Too many bad memories of how I used to spend this day (glug, glug). But, for those of you going out for fun, Happy St. Patrick's Day. Stay safe, and don't drink and drive. đź‘Ť
Here are some St. Patrick's Day facts.
A lot like Saint Nicholas (aka "Santa"), Maewyn Succat once led a pretty simple life. Born in the latter half of the 4th century in Britain (or Scotland, depending on the storyteller), little Maewyn was the son of an army officer. He was a happy boy, until pirates kidnapped him at a young age, keeping him captive for six years. It was while he was a slave that Maewyn, whose Romanized name was "Patricius," was struck by religious visions. After a daring escape, he traveled to Europe and ultimately took up studies in France with Bishop Saint Germain. Following 12 years of tutelage, Patrick, "heard" the Irish call him for salvation.
He worked tirelessly in Ireland, converting "pagan" Gaelics to Christianity, while establishing monasteries, schools, churches, and church councils. He was beloved, but not by all: the Celtic Druids, who bristled at his wide influence, arrested Patrick several times. He always managed to escape.
As the centuries have passed, St. Patrick's powers have become mythical. One story says he rid Ireland of snakes with a mountaintop sermon; in another he used the shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Despite the differing accounts, all agree that he died on March 17, and St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated to honor him in Ireland ever since.
The first St. Patrick's Day in America was celebrated in Boston in 1737. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in America. New York City hosted the celebration in 1762.
Widely known as a boon for booze, the celebration in Ireland was actually pretty dry until the mid 1970s. It was then that the government lifted its long upheld decree that pubs had to remain closed in honor of the religious holiday.
What about the leprechauns? They're full-fledged Irishmen. Legend says they're two feet tall, and cranky: Fortune hunters can try and pry them from their pot of gold, but the "Irish fairies" are famously wily rascals. If you look away, they'll disappear — as will your chance at their booty.
Corned beef and cabbage is widely known as the customary Irish meal, but that wasn't so until the turn of the century. Bacon usually accompanied the cabbage, but struggling Irish immigrants in New York had to find a budget alternative to tradition. Their Jewish neighbors suggested the replacement.
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Here are some St. Patrick's Day facts.
A lot like Saint Nicholas (aka "Santa"), Maewyn Succat once led a pretty simple life. Born in the latter half of the 4th century in Britain (or Scotland, depending on the storyteller), little Maewyn was the son of an army officer. He was a happy boy, until pirates kidnapped him at a young age, keeping him captive for six years. It was while he was a slave that Maewyn, whose Romanized name was "Patricius," was struck by religious visions. After a daring escape, he traveled to Europe and ultimately took up studies in France with Bishop Saint Germain. Following 12 years of tutelage, Patrick, "heard" the Irish call him for salvation.
He worked tirelessly in Ireland, converting "pagan" Gaelics to Christianity, while establishing monasteries, schools, churches, and church councils. He was beloved, but not by all: the Celtic Druids, who bristled at his wide influence, arrested Patrick several times. He always managed to escape.
As the centuries have passed, St. Patrick's powers have become mythical. One story says he rid Ireland of snakes with a mountaintop sermon; in another he used the shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Despite the differing accounts, all agree that he died on March 17, and St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated to honor him in Ireland ever since.
The first St. Patrick's Day in America was celebrated in Boston in 1737. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in America. New York City hosted the celebration in 1762.
Widely known as a boon for booze, the celebration in Ireland was actually pretty dry until the mid 1970s. It was then that the government lifted its long upheld decree that pubs had to remain closed in honor of the religious holiday.
What about the leprechauns? They're full-fledged Irishmen. Legend says they're two feet tall, and cranky: Fortune hunters can try and pry them from their pot of gold, but the "Irish fairies" are famously wily rascals. If you look away, they'll disappear — as will your chance at their booty.
Corned beef and cabbage is widely known as the customary Irish meal, but that wasn't so until the turn of the century. Bacon usually accompanied the cabbage, but struggling Irish immigrants in New York had to find a budget alternative to tradition. Their Jewish neighbors suggested the replacement.
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