Of course, you all know that it's Saint Patrick's day! By this point you've known it for a few days now, you've looked at the calendar today, or you've read Carol's post. I decided to put my own list together, but more of a list of factoids about Saint Patrick's Day! Did you know...
1. ...that the very first St. Patrick's day parade took place in the U.S., not Ireland? (Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through NYC on March 17th, 1762. The parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, and fellow Irishmen, with the music & celebration.
2. ...that St. Patrick's day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the U.S., Canada, and Australia? North America is home to the largest productions, but St. Patrick's day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland like Japan, Singapore, and Russia.
3. ...that corned beef and cabbage is the traditional dish served? In 2007, roughly 41.5 billion pounds of beef and 2.6 billion pounds of cabbage were sold.
4. ...that there are 36.5 million U.S. residents with Irish roots, which is actually 9 times the population of Ireland itself?! Irish is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, ranking behind German.
5. ...that the shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland symbolizing the rebirth of spring? The shamrock is also called the "seamroy". In the 17th century the shamrock had become a symbol of Irish nationalism. The English were beginning to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language, and the practice of Catholicism. So, the Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage.
6. ...that the Leprechaun's original Irish name was "lobaircin", which means "small-bodied fellow"? The belief in leprechauns more than likely stems from the Celtic belief in fairies. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. They were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure - the pot of gold. Originally, the Leprechaun had nothing to do with St. Patrick's day, but then in 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People introducing America to a different side of the Leprechaun. The cheerful, friendly leprechaun is just a product of American invention, and has quickly evolved into a recognizable symbol for St. Patrick's day & Ireland.
I just thought these were some interesting little facts about Saint Patty's day. I hope you thought so too!! Enjoy your St. Patrick's day, and the rest of your spring break everyone!!
2 comments:
Hmm, some interesting facts!
yes they are interesting facts. Do you know anything about why there seem to be so few four leaved clovers? I remember my aunt visiting from califronia and spent what felt like forever in my backyard looking for four leaved clovers. We did find a few.
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