Cougar Cry
8
St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's greatest national holiday as well as a holy day. The date
marks the anniversary of the death of the missionary who became the patron saint of
Ireland. It is a happy holiday for the Irish wherever they may be - in Dublin, New York
City, Boston, or San Francisco. The day is celebrated with parades, speeches, festive
dinners, and dances. Green is the color of the day, with thousands of little cloth
shamrocks worn by those whose forefathers never touched the shores of Ireland.
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents
near the end of the fourth century. He was a pagan at the time. At the
age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders
who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to
Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he
worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and
afraid, he turned to the Christian God for solace, becoming a devout
Christian.
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.
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.
Leprechauns
Leprechauns are little fairies from Ireland. They are the little old men who are
shoemakers for the fairies. They usually stand about 2 feet tall. Treasure hunters can
often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. The legend is
that if you catch one you can force him to tell you where he hides his gold.