St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)

(1) Tips for this day to foreigners, like the Japanese, from a Japanese staff member: To celebrate this day, you don’t have to be Irish. For fun on this day you’d better put on green when you go to work or go out; for example, green clothes, green socks, green gloves, green ties, or green scarves. You’ll realize quite a few people wear green. I think green represents “Spring”. Florists often sell shamrocks (a sort of clover) on this day. Customers at bars drink green colored beer, wear green, and paint green shamrocks on their faces. Some people wear buttons that say “Kiss me, I’m Irish” even though they are not Irish. There are many events. Some local events:

< http://www.irishindeed.com/page.htm?PG=newnews >
< http://www.irishindeed.com/ >
< http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/5343547.htm >

Words that you can hear in a conversation for this day: green, shamrock, Irish, St. Patrick Day, St. Patty’s Day, leprechaun, blarney stone, four-leaf clover, St. Patrick’s Day parade. See sources below.

Saint Patrick’s day, which marks the day Saint Patrick died, was first celebrated in the US on March 17^th 1737 . Although originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick’s day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. People, especially those of Irish descent, will often wear green on this day. There are many parades and celebrations during the day.

Saint Patrick is credited with the founding of hundreds of churches and the conversion of thousands of Irish to the Catholic religion. There have also been stories of him ridding Ireland of snakes. Another popular legend says that he used the shamrock to explain how the Holy Trinity has three parts but still exists as one.

Sources < http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/main.html >
< http://www.ireland.com/events/st.patricks/ >
< http://holidays.lovingyou.com/march/index.shtml >
< http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm >

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