St Patrick's Day, today, March 17, 2015

If St. Patrick were alive, second chance,
he could try that miracle of literally and
symbolically casting out snakes locally. 

"May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you each morning and night."

National Geographic News/John Roach, 3/16/09."St. Patrick's Day Facts: Snakes, a Slave, and a Saint."  "On St. Patrick's Day—Tuesday, March 17—millions of people will don green and celebrate the Irish in, and around, them with parades, good cheer, and perhaps a pint of beer. But few St. Patrick's Day revelers have a clue about St. Patrick, the man, according to the author of St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography. "The modern celebration of St. Patrick's Day really has almost nothing to do with the real man," said classics professor Philip Freeman of Luther College in Iowa.

....  No Snakes in Ireland.  The St. Patrick mythology includes the claim that he banished snakes from Ireland. It's true no snakes exist on the island today, Freeman said. But they never did. Ireland, after all, is surrounded by icy ocean waters—much too cold to allow snakes to migrate from Britain or anywhere else. But since snakes often represent evil in literature, "when Patrick drives the snakes out of Ireland, it is symbolically saying he drove the old, evil, pagan ways out of Ireland [and] brought in a new age," Freeman said. ...   Read article.

Related history - History.com/St. Patrick's Day, includes 15 videos.  "Every year on March 17, the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St. Patrick’s Day. What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green." Ancient Origins/April Holloway, 3/17/14, "The day of St. Patrick and the myth of snakes being cast out of Ireland."

Related - San Francisco parade and celebrations, 3/14/15. ABC 7 News, "Photos: St Patrick's Day Parade 2015". "SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) --Hundreds of people enjoyed music and dancing at this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade in San Francisco." Occupy Chi org, "St Patrick's Day quotes and sayings for Irish blessing, Irish Holiday".

Note graphics. Pot of gold from Face Book Covers/"Happy Saint Patrick's Day 7", caption quote under graphic from The holiday spot. but some of us may prefer, "May you be in Heaven a half hour before the Devil knows you're dead!" Ireland with snakes from the related History.com link above.

Posted by Kathy Meeh