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About St. Patrick's Day: |
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The legends say that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- that they all went into the sea and drowned. |
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St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years. |
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The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest is held in New York City. |
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Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Russia, the United States, Canada, and Australia. |
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Green is the color to wear on St. Patrick's day. It's associated with this holiday because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. (School children started a tradition of their own -- they used to pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday). |
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Leprechauns are connected with this holiday. The stories about Leprechauns tell how they are very clever little creatures. They are Irish fairies. They look like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall). They are often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. |
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According to the stories, leprechauns are unfriendly and unsociable. They live alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also own a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by listening for the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If you catch one, you can threaten to hurt him if he doesn't tell you where the treasure is. But, you must keep your eyes on him every second. If the leprechaun tricks you into looking away, he will disappear. Then you have no hope of finding the treasure. |
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What's good luck on Saint Patrick's Day?:
Finding a four-leaf clover (that's double the good luck it usually is).
Wearing green.
Kissing the blarney stone. |
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An Irish blessing to take with you today:
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow
And may trouble avoid you wherever you go! |
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