1. I think my earliest knowledge of St Patrick was that he supposedly drove all the snakes out of Ireland, and I remember thinking how great that was as in Tasmania we have very poisonous snakes.
2. The Fugitive (film, not tv show) has a scene involving a St Patrick's day parade, and the river has been dyed green which I think is very cool. I've found a youtube clip which shows this happening.
3. March 17th, which is when St Patrick's day is celebrated, is the anniversary of St Patrick's death - he died in 461 AD.
4. The biggest St Patrick's day parade is held in New York City and has over two million spectators - that's four times the population of Tasmania lining the route of the parade.
5. Fittingly, as it is an Irish celebration, the parade in Dublin is a four day celebration of all things Irish.
6. Whilst I was googling things about St Patrick's day I found this fabulous youtube clip showing a flashmob of Irish dancing in Sydney's Central Station in 2011 - watch and enjoy.
7. Shocking news, St Patrick wasn't Irish!!! No, he was born in Roman Britain and kidnapped by Irish pirates. In fact the only patron saint of the British Isles that was actually born in the country they are known for was St David who was indeed born in Wales. St George was born in Turkey, and St Andrew was believed to have been born in Israel and was one of Christ's disciples.
8. I love how people change the colour of drinks and food items to green for St Patrick's day - green beer, green latte's (not sure I'd like my latte messed with), and even green cakes. The only green thing I've made in recent years was mini grasshopper pies, which were scrummy (no grasshoppers were harmed in the making).
9. Our antipodean neighbours in New Zealand always start the celebrations first due to their position in the world and the international date line.
10. So that we're in the spirit of things, here we are sporting a complexion that is almost Shrek like in it's greenness, wishing you all a happy St Patrick's Day.
So there you have it, a mixture of facts and thoughts on the Irish celebration - before you go why don't you pop over to Tamara's blog, Confessions of a part-time working mom, to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with - click HERE to visit.
Until next time, be good, stay safe, and eat something green this week.
Pamela & Ken
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LOVE your post! It almost feels like a St. Patrick's Day gift to me, thanks!
ReplyDeleteSo much information!
The Fugitive is a movie I've probably watched what feels like a hundred times, and Dr. Kimble blending right into the parade leaves the U.S. Marshal pretty desperate ;-)
Cool video on how they dye the Chicago River, I had no idea!