IRISH BLESSINGS May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. May your children's children have children. May your neighbors respect you, Troubles neglect you, The angels protect you, And Heaven accept you. May your blessings outnumber The shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you Wherever you go. When Irish eyes are smiling, Sure 'tis like the morn in spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter You can hear the angels sing When Irish hearts are happy All the world seems bright and gay And when Irish eyes are smiling Sure, they steal your heart away. Dance as if no one were watching, Sing as if no one were listening, And live everyday as if it were your last. Go mbeannai Dia duit (May God bless you) HISTORY of ST. PATRICK'S DAY Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and the Apostle of Ireland. He was born around 385 AD near Dumbarton in Scotland the son of a Roman nobleman. His real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat; his baptismal name is Patricius. He was just 16 when his village was attacked. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland where he worked as a shepherd. After six years of being beaten and treated poorly, he escaped to Gaul (present day France). He returned to Ireland as a missionary where he is credited for converting the population to Catholicism. Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity. Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. Many people will be eating Irish food such as Irish Stew and Corned Beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. Corned Beef is not an Irish dish. It is what Americans think the Irish eat. A more traditional meal would be ham and cabbage or bacon and cabbage. Some say that in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day the traditional green beer is prominent. In Ireland, many years ago, St. Patrick's Day was considered a holy day and Pubs were not open for business. There were no parades, no drinking or wearing green. Green was considered an unlucky color. St. Patrick's Day Pinch - School children have started a little tradition of their own. They pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday. Wearing green is strictly a U.S. custom, as the color green is not popular in Ireland. Green is connected to the old green flag and a time when Ireland was not free. Green is also a color connected with HOPE and nature.         This webset was made exclusively for SWH members