Saturday, March 17, 2012

Top O The Morning To You & Happy St. Patty's Day!

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is
 the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. 
It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. 
It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. 
St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday
 in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. 

The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. 
Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day during the 19th century. 
Green, in Irish legends, was worn by fairies and immortals, 
and also by people to encourage their crops to grow.

One estimate suggests that there are about 10,000
regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover. 

Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something:
the first is for hope, the second for faith,
the third for love and the fourth for luck.
St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland;
the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to Christianity. 

The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland. 
It was in Boston in 1737.
34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. 
That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.

Nine of the people who signed our Declaration Of Independence
were of Irish origin, and nineteen Presidents of the United States proudly
 claim Irish heritage -- including our first President, George Washington.

The Irish flag is green, white and orange. 
The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north.
White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.
 TOP O THE MORNING TO YOU
Where Does This Saying Actually Come From?

This saying actually comes from New Zealand. 
They believe that they are at the top of the world not the bottom
 and hence say, "Top of the Morning." Over the years, it has been 
mistakenly assumed that this phrase originated in Ireland.

TOP OF THE MORNING originated in the good ol' USA. 
A cartoon named the KATZENJAMMER KIDS 
(also called The Captain and the Kids)
 used this greeting already more then 100 years ago.
 
While it is very likely that this expression is no longer in use in
 Ireland it is vain to think that because it is not now used it never was. 
The Oxford English dictionary lists the expression as an old one
 originating in Ireland not New Zealand as some have reported. 
The contraction of "of" to "o" is distinctly Irish and not from
 New Zealand so the use of this phrase in New Zealand is unlikely.

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY & MAY THE
LUCK OF THE IRISH BE WITH YOU ALWAYS

2 comments:

  1. A little history is good to know! I wonder, is it a drinking holiday in Ireland like it is here?

    Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing!!

    Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

    ReplyDelete