St. Patrick's Day celebration or the Irish Mardi Gras is of Irish descent. It is the feast day of St. Patrick, a Christian missionary to Ireland in the fifth century A.D. (after Jesus' death) It was first celebrated in the United States in 1737 in the city of Boston. This celebration is noted in America for its parades, wearin' o' the green, and good fellowship.
- The holiday is celebrated each year on March 17.
- The word shamrock comes from the Irish-Gaelic word "seamrog" meaning little clover.
- The symbol of St. Patrick's Day is the shamrock, a small three-leaved clover. It is the national flower of Ireland.
- Often people all over the world will wear green on this day as a reminder of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland.
- St. Patrick, the priest, told the people that the shamrock was like the idea of the Holy Trinity--that in the one God there are three divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Or is this just a legend?
- The holiday values the importance of keeping a kind word for all, and a gentling hand.
Did you know that Ireland is so green that it is often called the Emerald Isle?
Source: Scott & Fetzer Co., Evan-Moor Corp.