May you all have the luck of the Irish today! I hope you're planning on wearing a little green and celebrating St Paddy's day in style (well, more style than me - I'm off to see Legally Blonde!)
St Patrick
Did you know that St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat (thanks Wikipedia). St Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century into a wealthy Romano-British family and at the age of sixteen was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He fled from captivity and returned to Britain where he joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to become a priest.
In 432 he went back to Ireland, this time as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish. According to Irish folklore Patrick used a shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. Patrick died on 17 March 461 and is seen as the principal champion of Irish Christianity.
Green is now the colour associated with St. Patrick, but previously it was blue. St. Patrick's feast day has been celebrated by the Irish throughout Europe since the ninth and tenth centuries and continues today to be a celebration of all that is Irish. So, have a wonderful day and enjoy your pint of Guinness!
A sign on a beam at the Guinness factory in Dublin
Lucky
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