Happy Saint Patrick's Day History And Trivia

Dear Readers,

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 

Whoever laughs can kiss my Irish!
Whoever did this can kiss my...

A favorite holiday among many, I thought I would celebrate by sharing some Saint Patrick’s Day history and Irish trivia with you!

Did you know…?

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrated with reverence, not excessive partying. 

St. Patrick was a 5^th century British-born Roman; as a teenager, he was captured by Irish invaders and spent six years as a slave before escaping and returning to England, only to return to Ireland as a missionary after completing his studies for the priesthood.

The name “Patrick” is derived from the Latin “Patricius”, meaning “father figure”. Saint Patrick took the name upon his ordination to the priesthood. His given name was Maewyn Succat.

Saint Patrick’s feast day is March 17^th, commemorating the day he died in 461.

It is said that Saint Patrick “drove the snakes out of Ireland” and this is figuratively true. The snake is the pagan symbol of wisdom; in bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle, Saint Patrick drove out the old wisdom of her people. Additionally, the snake is a Christian symbol of Satan and evil incarnate – also something Saint Patrick worked to quash.

Over 30 million Americans claim Irish ancestry; worldwide, over double that number (70 million) can claim a link to the Emerald Isle – that is more than ten times the actual population of Ireland!
In America, Irish ancestry ranks among the top 5 ancestries in all but two states – New Mexico and Hawaii!

Although New York City boasts the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade, Boston boasts the oldest. In fact, it hosted the very first Saint Patrick’s Day parade ever held anywhere in the world – in 1737!

Guinness Brewery estimates that 13 million pints of their product will be consumed on Saint Patrick’s Day!

While Ireland is famous for its potatoes, the vegetable is not native to Irish soil; it was imported from the North American continent.

The first President of the Irish Republic (Eamon De Valera) was American by birth!

The colors of the Irish flag – orange, white, and green – stand for the Protestants (orange) of Northern Ireland; the Catholics (green) of the main isle (Eire, or the Irish Republic); and the peace (white) that will hopefully reign between them on a permanent basis.

Enjoy your Saint Patrick’s Day, however you choose to celebrate it! Erin go bragh – or, in English, Ireland Forever!

Snuggles,

Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with Bachelors degrees in Communications and in Gender and Women's Studies. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Repost: Tazi's Corner #36 - Tazi Recommends Some Cultural Blogs

Dear Readers:

As I am sure you all know, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, but did you know that Wednesday is another Feast Day dear to the hearts of my hometown: St. Joseph's Day! Being from a city that has both strong Irish and Italian roots, I am honoring both Feast Days today with the blog recommendations that I recommended last year. Both offer a rich and detailed view of the cultures and histories that are celebrated during these two holidays. Please take the time to check them out!

The Go Ireland Blog
the featured blog of GoIreland.com
offers so many interesting and informative blogs on a variety of topics - from political to human interest - that I could not resist. Featured for St. Patrick's Day was a blog on the health benefits of Guinness, which made such a strong argument I am thinking of asking my Mommie to pour some of hers in my water dish! Another blog of interest was done as a picture blog, with a poster graphic illustrating the theme 10 Irish Inventions That Changed the World. Raise your hand if you knew the Irish created chocolate milk? The blog is an offshoot of an Ireland Tourism website, so many of the blogs are primarily related to tourism and things to do in Ireland, but they feature some great pictures and offer an interesting view into the Irish culture and history (check out Historic Sites of Dublin or the 7 Wonders of Ireland to see what I mean!). The site is categorized with a table of contents running down the right sidebar of the page, so it is easy to navigate your way around the page and find exactly what you are looking for - from Irish Culture and Irish Food and Drink (including recipes) to Irish Geneology blogs that offer tips on how to trace your Irish family tree! Even if you are not Irish, there is something on the Go Ireland blog for everyone to enjoy and explore.

If Irish food and culture is not your thing, check out

The Italian Blog
by Daniele, Lori, and Jay

The authors are REAL Italians, who are from (and still live) in Italy! The blog is (mostly) written in English, so you do not need to speak the language to enjoy this blog. The theme of the blog is Italian culture - daily living, recipes, history, and holidays - told from the point of view of your average Italian citizen.

Hailing from one of the many Little Italy regions here in the United States but not actually being Italian myself (I am American Short-Hair), I found this blog fascinating! When I saw the headline "Not Only Mafia" I thought I was going to read an article dispelling the stereotypes of Italians pictured in The Godfather and Goodfellas, so I was surprised to discover it was an informative article on a museum in Calabria that is featuring the documentation of many other criminal enterprises that go under the radar, thanks to the focus on the mafia. The museum site is in Italian, but easily translated if you have Google Chrome.

In the blog post "Sometimes You Just Need to Be Hungry" the authors give a brief but hypnotic review of a little cafe in Siena. The description paints a picture of what it is like to spend the afternoon "among culture and art", seeking to wind down with a pleasant meal. Though short, the blog gives the reader a sense of what it is like to live in Italy and participate in their culture. As a cat, I have to say I am liking the relaxed atmosphere much better than the hustle and bustle of American living!

The Italian Blog will keep you occupied as you jump from the funny little jokes they post, like the picture and translation of a humorous Help Wanted sign they saw in a village near Torino to their praise of the coffee break, an apparent universal love of humans everywhere! I would suggest that you take a coffee break right now! You know the drill: Put down that Sunday paper (so kitty-cat can nap on it), grab a mug of your favorite caffeinated brew, and check out the Go Ireland blog and The Italian Blog. Consider it your daily dose of culture. You're welcome!

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. I also suggest another favorite of mine, Closet Cooking, which has been running Irish recipes all week. I am dying to try the Bacon-Guinness-Chocolate-Pancakes! Sigh...I can practically hear my arteries slamming shut!


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Celebrate With Caution When Drinking Heavily!

Dear Tazi:

Last year, my 21st birthday fell on the weekend following St. Patrick's Day. Because St. Patrick's Day fell on a Thursday, people were celebrating the whole weekend through, drinking enough to blind a large farm animal (as my Grandma used to say) and unfortunately choosing to drive themselves home. I was one of those revelers (I AM Irish!) and because it was my birthday, I was out with several friends; one of whom was actually a friend of a friend, who was invited along because he agreed to be our designated driver.

I suppose I should have known better than to put my trust into someone I did not know, but I was just so excited about turning 21 and finally being able to go out and party that I didn't think anything of it. I wish my story could end with something stupid, like the designated driver got drunk and I had to call a cab; but things went much more badly than that. Our designated driver stayed sober all night, and drove every one of us home safely - until I was the only person left to drop off. Instead of taking me home, he drove me to a local park - a place my parents would have called a "make-out spot", but this guy had more than "making out" on his mind! Long story short? THANK GOD the local police were patrolling the park, and saw me struggling to get away from the "nice guy" who had offered to be my designated driver!

The police ended up giving me a ride home that night, even though I chose not to press charges against the guy who tried to rape me. I did tell our mutual friend what a slime the guy is and - what a surprise - I am no longer friends with her, because she refused to believe me; claiming that I was "too drunk to know what was happening". This is the reason I am writing to you, and is the message I want to impart to St. Patrick's Day revelers.

With St. Patrick's Day falling on the weekend this year, there will certainly be many more people out celebrating. We have all heard about the importance of not drinking and driving or of designating a driver; but I was never taught about the dangers of choosing the wrong designated driver! I want your readers to ask themselves this question: If someone is offering to be my designated driver, why are they offering? Is it because they don't drink? Is it because they believe in putting responsibility before fun? Or is it because they are hoping to have an advantage being the only sober person among the drunk people? I got lucky that night and managed to escape; but I can only imagine what might have happened if those police officers hadn't happened along.

Signed,
Erin (Go Bragh)

Dear Erin:

Your story is a sobering one (no pun intended) and offers a lesson that could only have been learned through experience. Although most people who offer to be the designated driver do so with a pure heart, there are some who do it in order to take advantage of drunken revelers. The lesson you learned was an important one: that just because someone is friends with a friend does not mean that they will be a friend to you!

To my Irish readers, I wish you a happy, healthy, and blessed St. Patrick's Day! To all who plan to go out and celebrate the holiday, I wish you a safe and healthy evening; and remember: If you are going to drink, don't drive! If you are going to drive, don't drink!

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. to Mr. and Mrs. J.J.D. of Colorado: A very happy 5th anniversary to you!! May Irish eyes continue to smile upon you!


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.