The First Parade

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years.

On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.

Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called "Irish Aid" societies, like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes (which actually first became popular in the Scottish and British armies) and drums.

No Irish Need Apply

Up until the mid-nineteenth century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor, uneducated, Catholic Irish began to pour into America to escape starvation. Despised for their religious beliefs and funny accents by the American Protestant majority, the immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs. When Irish Americans in the country's cities took to the streets on St. Patrick's Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys.

However, the Irish soon began to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the "green machine," became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City 's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.

Wearing of the Green Goes Global

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and fireworks shows.

I THINK I HAVE SAID MOST OF THESE HAVE A GREAT DAY AND REMEMBER TO SMILE AND YOU WILL GET ONE BACK ;) ME         HOPE THIS MAKES YOU SMILE    THE MOST FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH WORD    Well, it's shit ... that's right, shit!  Shit may just be the most functional word in the English language.    Consider:  You can get shit-faced, Be shit-out-of-luck, Or have shit for brains.    With a little effort, you can get your shit together, find a place for your shit, or be asked to shit or get off the pot.    You can smoke shit, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, forget shit,  And tell others to eat shit.    Some people know their shit, while others can't tell the difference  Between shit and shineola.    There are lucky shits, dumb shits, and crazy shits. There is bull shit, horse shit, and chicken shit.  You can throw shit, sling shit, catch shit, shoot the shit, or duck when the shit hits the fan.    You can give a shit or serve shit on a shingle.    You can find yourself in deep shit or be happier than a pig in shit.    Some days are colder than shit, some days are hotter than shit,  And some days are just plain shitty.    Some music sounds like shit, things can look like shit, and there are times when you feel like shit.    You can have too much shit, not enough shit, the right shit, the wrong shit or a lot of weird shit.    You can carry shit, have a mountain of shit, or find yourself up shit creek without a paddle.    Sometimes everything you touch turns to shit and other times you fall in a bucket of shit and come out smelling like a rose.      When you stop to consider all the facts, it's the basic building block of the English language.    And remember, once you know your shit, you don't need to know anything else!!    You could pass this along, if you give a shit; or not do so if you don't give a shit!    Well, Shit, it's time for me to go. Just wanted you to know that I do give a shit and hope you had a nice day, without a bunch of shit. But, if you happened to catch a load of shit from some shit-head...........    Well, Shit Happens!!!  Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt  and dance like you do when nobody's watching!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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