Who is celebrating the luck of the "Iowish" today?
Before I moved back to Iowa 13 years ago, I never really celebrated St. Patricks Day. I had tons of friends who did but it just wasn't my thing. Then I met Jason. My friend Jason loveessss this holiday and I decided to give it a whirl and partake in the fun.
Little did I know the seriousness of the party. It starts at 7 am.
In the last 10 years, I have joined in the fun only a couple of times because I think it takes me a good 5 years to recover from the 7 am start time and the "not sure when I got home" finish time. This year, I am taking the year off and just want to share a little history around this "holiday."
"Saint Patrick (who was not Irish or Iowish), lived during the fifth century and is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16 and worked as shepherd. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people.
In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well-known legend of Saint Patrick is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock." ~from www.history.com
My lesson for today and hopefully one for you too: before you go out and drink green beer, get pinched or kissed by fellow party goers - take a moment to educate yourself on the history of holidays. There is always more to them than a day off and a good time.
#embracethehellyeah
~AE
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