About St. Patrick's Day & Free Printable Posters
Phewww, it feels like 2017 just started! Valentine's Day just happened, I swear! Now, here we are, and it's March! I stopped wearing socks last week in celebration of better weather, and also I hate socks. Yes, I do live in Montana. Yes, I jumped the gun a bit. Yes, it snowed the day before yesterday, and probably will next week too. Yes, I have socks on right now. Wool socks. With stripes. {Sigh...}
(UPDATE: It snowed like 4" last night. I spent 15 minutes cleaning of my car this morning; I didn't put on socks since I was going to yoga, but I did wear boots.)
But still, it is March. And with March comes the hope of spring, my birthday, and St. Patrick's Day. Celebrated on March 17, it's kind of a specific holiday. These days, it is often a secular celebration of Irish heritage, all over the world. Historically it is a religious holiday which honors the death day of Saint Patrick (385-461 a.d.) , and celebrates him as the best known patron saint of Ireland. When I started thinking about St. Patrick's Day this year, I realized I didn't know anything about it, besides shamrocks, parades, and green beer. So, I did a little online research to share with you. It's a long story, but here is a [very] short version.
As a young man of about 16, St. Patrick was captured by pirates in South Wales and sold into slavery in Ireland. He escaped after 6-ish years, making it France where he then joined a monastery and studied for 12 years. After becoming a Bishop, he had a dream that he was being called back to Ireland to spread the word of his God. He was very successful at converting the pagans, and helped to establish churches all over the country. Although myth, it's said Patrick drove all the snakes from the country and used the shamrock to explain the trinity. What this means is that at it's heart, St. Patrick's Day is a religious celebration, in honor of the man who had the largest influence converting Ireland to Christianity. Most celebrations these days, though, have become secularized. They are celebrations of Irish culture outside of Ireland, that include elements of the religious story and the even deeper pagan roots of Irish history and Celtic myth. Leprechauns, for instance, are a Celtic fairy, and have become inextricably entwined with these Irish celebrations, as has the afore-mentioned shamrock, which is also a symbol for one of the pre-Christian Irish goddesses Brigid.
Whatever reason you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, this holiday, like so many others, is a multi-faceted conglomeration of history and myth. Scratching the surface reveals a treasure trove of stories about our shared history as humans. Celebrate this year with these printable posters - one is an Irish blessing that is appropriate for any time of year, one is a subway art inspired poster in greens, and one is a glittery shamrock, ready to decorate any celebration.
Click on each poster to download.
• • •
Hey, interested in more: I talk about disliking socks here too: The Only 2 Reasons you Need to Plan Ahead, or Why I Own Only Black Socks
(UPDATE: It snowed like 4" last night. I spent 15 minutes cleaning of my car this morning; I didn't put on socks since I was going to yoga, but I did wear boots.)
But still, it is March. And with March comes the hope of spring, my birthday, and St. Patrick's Day. Celebrated on March 17, it's kind of a specific holiday. These days, it is often a secular celebration of Irish heritage, all over the world. Historically it is a religious holiday which honors the death day of Saint Patrick (385-461 a.d.) , and celebrates him as the best known patron saint of Ireland. When I started thinking about St. Patrick's Day this year, I realized I didn't know anything about it, besides shamrocks, parades, and green beer. So, I did a little online research to share with you. It's a long story, but here is a [very] short version.
As a young man of about 16, St. Patrick was captured by pirates in South Wales and sold into slavery in Ireland. He escaped after 6-ish years, making it France where he then joined a monastery and studied for 12 years. After becoming a Bishop, he had a dream that he was being called back to Ireland to spread the word of his God. He was very successful at converting the pagans, and helped to establish churches all over the country. Although myth, it's said Patrick drove all the snakes from the country and used the shamrock to explain the trinity. What this means is that at it's heart, St. Patrick's Day is a religious celebration, in honor of the man who had the largest influence converting Ireland to Christianity. Most celebrations these days, though, have become secularized. They are celebrations of Irish culture outside of Ireland, that include elements of the religious story and the even deeper pagan roots of Irish history and Celtic myth. Leprechauns, for instance, are a Celtic fairy, and have become inextricably entwined with these Irish celebrations, as has the afore-mentioned shamrock, which is also a symbol for one of the pre-Christian Irish goddesses Brigid.
Whatever reason you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, this holiday, like so many others, is a multi-faceted conglomeration of history and myth. Scratching the surface reveals a treasure trove of stories about our shared history as humans. Celebrate this year with these printable posters - one is an Irish blessing that is appropriate for any time of year, one is a subway art inspired poster in greens, and one is a glittery shamrock, ready to decorate any celebration.
Enjoy! Happy St. Patrick's Day, and happy birthday to me, and to my best friend,
who's birthday is just a few days after mine!
who's birthday is just a few days after mine!
Click on each poster to download.
Hey, interested in more: I talk about disliking socks here too: The Only 2 Reasons you Need to Plan Ahead, or Why I Own Only Black Socks
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