March 17th is an impor- tant day throughout the world. There are colorful parades in Boston, New York, Chicago, Montreal, Buenos Aires, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Belfast and Dublin. What are all these people cele- brating? It’s St. Patrick’s Day!
GUINNESS IS GOOD FOR YOU!
There’s something irresistible about the Irish and their traditions; everyone loves to sing along to songs like When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and, as the song says, “(The Irish) steal our hearts away.” How else can you explain Tokyo’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade when thousands of Japanese sing, dance and laugh with their Irish friends – though perhaps the prom- ise of a free glass of Guinness helps.
THE LEGEND
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a reli- gious and national holiday, in re- membrance of the saint’s death in 461 AD, and his part in establishing Christianity there. The first St. Patrick’s Day parades took place in Boston, USA in 1737. Irish soldiers in the British army organised New York’s first parade in 1762. The New York parade is now one of the largest in the world, with stunning floats and over two million spectators lining the route along Fifth Avenue. Dublin’s own St. Patrick’s festival was introduced in 1996 to increase Irish tourism.
GREEN IS THE COLOR...
Remember that it’s very important to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, otherwise a leprechaun will pinch your bottom. According to legend, St. Patrick banished snakes6 from Ireland, but not these magical little fellows7 – so look out!
The Shamrock
Why must people dress in green? Pagans will tell you it’s the color of the shamrock, which symbolises the coming of spring. This also explains the excessive drinking that takes place as pagans held their Bacchanalian festival on March 17th. The shamrock is also an important part of the celebrations because, according to legend, St. Patrick used the leaf to explain the Holy Trinity. Today it’s Ireland’s National Emblem. Traditionally, the Irish prime minister visits the White House each year on St. Patrick’s Day to present shamrock to the US president.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
When Irish eyes are smiling
Sure it’s like a morning spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter,
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.