~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morn-O! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
March 17, 2014

Click on Card for some St. Patrick’s Day Fun! 

★~ Today’s Quote:

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been
the foresight to know where you’re going
and the insight to know when you’re going too far. ~ Irish Proverb

★~ St. Patrick’s Day:

 

* Incredible aerial photos of the Chicago River being dyed green. Click to see full size pictures. 

People have been celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Patrick for over a thousand years. Saint Patrick was born and raised in Roman Britain during the fifth century. At the age of sixteen he was captured and sold as a slave to an Irish sheep farmer, but eventually managed to escape. He spent several years in a monastery before returning to Ireland as a Christian missionary. Today he is hailed as the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland.

Over the years St. Patrick’s Day has evolved from a religious observance to a worldwide celebration of Irish culture. In Ireland, men wear shamrocks on their jackets and caps, and women wear green ribbons in their hair. Pinch, Kiss, Eat, Drink and be Merry! No necessarily in that order.

★~ Corned Beef and Cabbage Day:

The Irish were major exporters of corned (or salt-cured) beef in the 16th and 17th centuries with exports to France, England and America.  Interestingly enough, since the majority of beef was exported, the cost of beef to the Irish people was prohibitive.  Most of the Irish peasants used their cattle for dairy products and ate pork as their main protein source instead.  That is even assuming they could afford meat.  Many subsisted on primarily potatoes.  Thus, when the potato famine occurred in the mid-1800’s, over 10% of the Irish population emigrated from the country while about 10% of the population died from hunger.

Cabbage, on the other hand, was a common source of nutrition for the farmers of Ireland which pre-dated the potato.  It was domesticated and farmed as early as 600 BC.  Irish farms could produce up to 65 pounds of cabbage per person each year.  During the potato blight that caused the Great Famine, the cabbage was used prominently again.  Needless to say, when the Irish came to America, they brought their traditions and celebrations with them so that now everyone can celebrate being green one day each year.

★~  Born Today:

♥~1949 – Patrick Duffy actor: Dallas, Man from Atlantis, Step-by-Step video with Suzanne Somers

♥~1951 – Kurt Russell actor: Executive Decision, Backdraft, Elvis, Used Cars, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Tango & Cash, Stargate, Tombstone, 3000 Miles to Graceland

♥~1964 – Joe Cooney, Galway hurler, is born near Loughrea Ireland

♥~1964 – Rob Lowe actor: Brothers & Sisters, St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, Suddenly, Last Summer, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Contact, Atomic Train, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The West Wing

★~ Good to Know:

♥~ Saint Patrick himself would have to deal with pinching on his feast day. His color was “Saint Patrick’s blue,” a light shade. The color green only became associated with the big day after it was linked to the Irish independence movement in the late 18th century.

♥~ St. Patrick made his mark by introducing Christianity to Ireland in the year 432, but he wasn’t Irish himself. He was born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales in the late fourth century.

♥~ Saint Patrick’s Day is is a national holiday in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.

♥~ New York City’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the world’s largest parades. Since 1762, 250,000 marchers have traipsed up Fifth Avenue on foot – the parade still doesn’t allow floats, cars, or other modern trappings.

♥~ During most of the 20th century, Saint Patrick’s Day was considered a strictly religious holiday in Ireland, which meant that the nation’s pubs were closed for business on March 17. (The one exception went to beer vendors at the big national dog show, which was always held on Saint Patrick’s Day.) In 1970, the day was converted to a national holiday, and the stout resumed flowing.

♥~ Not every city goes all-out in its celebratory efforts. From 1999 to 2007, the Irish village of Dripsey proudly touted that it hosted the Shortest Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the World. The route ran for 26 yards between two pubs. Today, Hot Springs, Arkansas claims the title for brevity – its brief parade runs for 98 feet.

♥~ How did the shamrock become associated with Saint Patrick? According to Irish legend, the saint used the three-leafed plant as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he was first introducing Christianity to Ireland.

♥~ In Irish lore, Saint Patrick gets credit for driving all the snakes out of Ireland. Modern scientists suggest that the job might not have been too hard – according to the fossil record, Ireland has never been home to any snakes. Through the Ice Age, Ireland was too cold to host any reptiles, and the surrounding seas have staved off serpentine invaders ever since. Modern scholars think the “snakes” Saint Patrick drove away were likely metaphorical for the Pagan’s.

♥~ Corned beef and cabbage, a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day staple, doesn’t have anything to do with the grain corn. Instead, it’s a nod to the large grains of salt that were historically used to cure meats, which were also known as “corns.”

♥~ All of the Saint Patrick’s Day revelry around the globe is great news for brewers. A 2012 estimate pegged the total amount spent on beer for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations at $245 million. And that’s before tips to pubs’ bartenders.

♥~ According to Irish legend, Saint Patrick wasn’t originally called Patrick. His birth name was Maewyn Succat, but he changed his name to Patricius after becoming a priest.

♥~ Don’t be fooled by any holiday decorations showing lady leprechauns. In traditional Irish folk tales, there are no female leprechauns, only nattily attired little guys.

♥~ Another little-known fact from Irish lore: Leprechauns earned that gold they’re guarding. According to legend, leprechauns spend their days making and mending shoes. It’s hard work, so you can’t blame them for being territorial about their pots of gold.

♥~ You can’t attend a Saint Patrick’s Day event without hearing a cry of “Erin go Bragh.” What’s the phrase mean? It’s a corruption of the Irish Éirinn go Brách, which means roughly “Ireland Forever.”

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A few of Chicagoan’s offense ofter the weekend..It isn’t easy being green. Chicago loves St. Patrick’s Day and it’s fun to a point. However, it’s funner now that I don’t live in the heart of the celebration. I celebrated by eating one too many boxes of Lucky Charms cereal  over the weekend they were magically delicious. However, Cole told me I looked a little like the crazed leprechaun on the box. I think, I’ll make  Lucky Charm cookies with the last box. Beth Ann made them and they look very St Patrick’s Day Festive. Don’t worry. I won’t go all over board like I did with Peeps last year. PEEPS!!!

Cole post the video with all the autographs he has collected on the Bug. It’s pretty impressive to see all those names fly by. . .

Wishing everyone a very Merry Monday and a Very Happy St. Patricks Day. Because, you know, everyone is a little bit Irish.

Odd Loves Company!