The Shamrock

According to the Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, the identity of the true shamrock has long been debated, but the plants most often designated as the emblem of Ireland are the white clover, the small hop clover, and the wood sorrel, or oxalis.

It's likely that some or all of this information was provided by the botanist, Nathaniel Colgan, who endeavored to identify "the real shamrock" at the turn of the 20th century. He asked people all over Ireland to send him living, rooted specimens which he carefully planted and labelled. When the plants matured and blossomed, he was able to identify four different plants - the three already mentioned and one called Black Medick.

So how did the shamrock become an emblem of Ireland? It may surprise many readers to learn that the plant's international association with the Emerald Isle is relatively recent. It wasn't until the 17th century that it became the custom to wear the shamrock on the feast of Ireland's patron saint; until then, the Irish wore a special St. Patrick's cross, made just for the occasion. Then, in the late 18th century, the shamrock was adopted as an emblem by the Volunteers of 1777. But it didn't really become widely popular until the 19th century, when the emerging Nationalist movements took the shamrock, along with the harp, as one of their emblems. Viewed as an act of rebellion in Victorian England, Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. This one single act may have done more to establish the shamrock as Ireland's national emblem than anything else. It was also the catalyst for the creation of the famous ballad, The Wearin' O' The Green: "Oh Paddy dear, and did ye hear the news that's going round? The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground! No more St. Patrick's Day we'll keep; his color can't be seen, For there's a cruel law agin' the wearing o' the Green!"

While the lyrics may have stirred the souls and hearts of rebellious Irishmen, there are a couple of strange contradictions in this verse: it's very likely that St. Patrick wore vestments of blue, not green; and since the plant wasn't cultivated but grew wild, there was no way the Crown could have successfully banned its growth!

As for St. Patrick using it to teach us the mystery of the Holy Trinity, it was never mentioned in any of his writings. So, that of itself, remains a mystery. On the other hand, Triads, or groups of three, were of major significance in ancient Ireland; so it is quite possible that the shamrock may have been used by early Christian teachers because, not only could it instantly illustrate and explain an important belief, it would also have been symbolically acceptable.

But that was then.

Today, the shamrock is firmly established as the most instantly recognizable emblem of Ireland. For good luck, it's usually included in the bouquet of an Irish bride, and also in the boutonniere of the groom. It's the symbol of a quality B & B that's earned the right to display it. It's part of the Aer Lingus logo, as well as those of many other companies, sports teams and organizations. And, it's also an integral part of an old tradition called "drowning the shamrock." This takes place on St. Patrick's Day, when the shamrock that has been worn in the hat or lapel is removed and put into the last drink of the evening. A toast is proposed and then, when the toast has been honored, the shamrock is taken from the bottom of the glass and thrown over the left shoulder. Sláinte!

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Palm Sunday in old Ireland

Irish speakers once referred to Palm Sunday as Domhnach an Iúir - Yew Sunday. That's because the "palm" was most often a sprig from the yew tree or some other conifer such as a silver fir, spruce or cypress. In County Fermanagh, early on every Palm Sunday morning, a Protestant cut down sprigs of yew and placed them on his garden wall.In the old days, families brought their own fronds of "palm" to the church to be blessed. While he didn't have a Palm Sunday ceremony in his own church, it's on record that this very considerate Protestant soul offered palms to his less than fortunate Catholic neighbors on their way to chapel.It was expected that every member of a family would be present at Mass to receive a blessed palm in commemoration of Christ's entry into Jerusalem. After Mass, the men and boys broke off a sprig and wore it all day in their hat or lapel. Often, it was worn for much longer.In Spencer T. Hall's Life and Death in Ireland, he writes: "...most of the men and boys I met had small bunches of palm in their hats or buttonholes (lapels), which they said had been consecrated by the priest, and which many of them wore or renewed for a nearly a fortnight afterwards." In this context, we are assuming that the author is implying that renewal meant more blessings - perhaps on Good Friday, Easter and beyond.

As for the womenfolk and children, they brought their fronds home. A palm would be hung up in the house; one would be put out in the barn so that the animals could share in the blessing. And another would be set aside to be used as a sprinkler for Holy Water.

In many areas of Ireland, a palm stem was charred and a cross was marked on eggs set for hatching, while in parts of Galway and Mayo, a bit of palm was shredded and mixed through the seed grain. In any event, most families had extra eggs on hand because of the Lenten fast, so Palm Sunday was often the day that children called on neighbors and began collecting eggs for Easter.

The date on which Palm Sunday fell was also closely observed. If it coincided with St. Patrick's Day, when "the Shamrock and Palm would be worn together", it was said that something unusual would occur. This could be interpreted as ominous. The optimistics predicted an exceptionally fine summer or an end to Ireland's troubles. They also made the same predictions when Palm Sunday fell on the feast of the Annunciation - March 25th.

I did a bit of digging. In 1347, Palm Sunday coincided with the feast of the Annunciation. That year, the black death arrived in Messina. By New Year's Eve, it had spread to Genoa. Within three years it had wiped out one third of Europe. On a happier note, in 1945, the Annunciation and Palm Sunday coincided and the war in Europe came to an end. We found two other recent dates: St. Patrick's Day and Palm Sunday coincided in 1940: the Annunciation and Palm Sunday coincided in 1956. We'll be delving into the history books a bit further to see, in retrospect, if these old Irish predictions hold any water.

For future reference: The next time the Annunciation and Palm Sunday coincide is 2018. As for St. Patrick's Day - it won't happen again until 2391. God willing, by then, the troubles will be as ancient history as the pyramids.

Ancient Order Of Hibernians

The National Organization

The AOH is a Catholic, Irish-American fraternal organization founded in New York City in 1836. The Order can trace its roots back to a parent organization, of the same name, which has existed in Ireland for over 300 years. While both share a common thread, the North American AOH is a separate and much larger organization.

The Order evolved from a need in the early 1600's to protect the lives of priests who risked immediate death to keep the Catholic Faith alive in occupied Ireland after the reign of Henry VIII. When England implemented its dreaded Penal Laws in Ireland, various secret societies were formed across the country to aid and comfort the people by whatever means available.

Similarly, the AOH in America was founded May 4, 1836 at St. James Church in New York to protect the clergy and Church property from the "Know Nothings" and their followers. Anti-immigrant sentiment was high at that time and the Irish would soon be arriving in peak numbers, escaping the Great Hunger and other persecution in their native land. Many Irish social societies sprung up and grew during this period, but the largest was, and continues to be, the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Active across the US, the Order, along with the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, have traditionally been among the first to welcome new Irish immigrants. Here, the Irish culture - art, dance, music, and sport are fostered and preserved. Newcomers can meet some of "their own" and are introduced to the social atmosphere of the Irish American community. The AOH has been at the political forefront for issues concerning the Irish such as: Immigration Reform; economic incentives - both here and in Ireland; human rights as addressed in the MacBride legislation; Right-To-Life; and a peaceful and just solution to the issues that divide Ireland.

Did you know ? Irish Trivia to confound your friends (or not ).

• Ireland's largest church is St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin?

• The Popularity of Patrick as a Christian name in Ireland is due to the great 17th century general, Patrick Sarsfield, not our patron saint?

• The word íochtar (eek-tur) literally means lower part and is often used for the youngest child in an Irish family?

• George Bernard Shaw bequeathed one third of his estate to the National Gallery in Dublin, claiming that he received his education there?

• Guinness's fermenting vessel ferments 2,304,000 pints at one brewing?

• According to old custom, a piece of candle, a coin and a small quantity of wine or spirits should be placed next to someone who has died? The candle was to give the deceased light, the coin was to pay the fare over the river of death, and the liquor was to sustain him or her on their journey.

• Mass has been celebrated every Sunday at Ballintubber Abbey in Co. Mayo since 1216?

• Swallowing a live frog was an old Irish cure for a stomach ache?

• St. James's Gate Brewery is built on the site where, since medieval times, Dubliners held an annual drinking festival every 25th July to celebrate the feastday of St. James?

• Emmett Square in Birr, Co. Offaly, marks the centre of Ireland?

• Dublin was originally called Dubh Linn meaning Black Pool? The pool to which the name referred is the oldest known in Northern Europe and currently forms the centre-piece of the penguin enclosure in Dublin Zoo.

• Chieftains in medieval Ulster went out of their way to marry Scotswomen because their dowries consisted of axe-wielding galloglass mercenaries? When Turlough Luineach O'Neill married Lady Agnes MacDonald of Kintyre in 1568, she brought 10,000 troops with her.

• Ireland's smallest church is at Portbraden in Co. Antrim? Only ten feet long by six feet wide, the structure is dedicated to St. Gobhnan - the patron saint of builders. (huh?!)

• Mulgrave Street in Limerick, which contains two hospitals, a prison and a lunatic asylum, is known as 'Calamity Avenue' by the locals?

• The sinister sounding Bloody Foreland in County Donegal owes its name to its magnificent sunsets?

• Every spring, more than twenty million eels swim into the River Bann to breed?

• In the village of Ballyporeen, Co, Tipperary, there's a pub called The Ronald Reagan Bar?

• Charles Stuart Parnell was known as the Uncrowned King of Ireland?

• Irish women received the right to vote before American women?

• A river called the Poddle runs under Dublin Castle?

• The largest town in Offaly is Tullamore?

• Fota in Co. Cork is a wildlife park?

• Two signers of the American Declaration of Independence, William Whipple and John Hancock had Irish mothers?

• William Barclay "Bat" Masterson - gunfighter, buffalo hunter, frontier lawman, and newspaperman - was the son of Catherine McGurk who was from Northern Ireland?

• Oscar Wilde's mother, Lady Jane Francesca, wrote under the pen name "Speranza?"

• John Ford, father of Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Corporation of America, emigrated to America after being evicted from a small holding in Ballinascarty Co. Cork in 1847?

• Billy the Kid, born Henry McCarty, was the son of Irish immigrants, Michael and Catherine McCarty?

• There are five areas in Dublin whose names end in the letter 'O'? Fewer than one Dubliner in 20,000 can name them off by heart. They are: Rialto, Marino, Portobello, Phibsboro and Pimlico.

• Dublin's O'Connell Bridge was originally made of rope and could only carry one man and a donkey at a time? It was replaced with a wooden structure in 1801. The current concrete bridge was built in 1863 and was first called "Carlisle Bridge".

• One of the great gaffes in social history took place at Stormont in the 1920s? During an important function, Northern Ireland minister Dawson Bates - who was in attendance with his wife and son - entered the main hall. As the party made their way towards the gathered dignitaries, they were grandly announced "the honourable Dawson Bates, his wife, Lady Bates, and their son Master Bates." (We're not kidding - this really happened!)

• The Irish alphabet has only 18 letters? J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y and Z are not used.

• According to Irish custom, cold and wet weather was welcomed on Good Friday? It was interpreted as a sign of nature in mourning for the death of Christ.

• If a boy was born on Easter Sunday, he was destined for high office in the Church?

• It was on Easter Monday, April 18, 1949, that Éire became officially known as the the Republic of Ireland?

• An Irishman, Jimmy Kennedy, from Co. Tyrone, wrote the song Red Sails in the Sunset?

• Singer, Eyna's real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin

• St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh stands on a bit of land called the ridge of the willow tree? According to legend, this land was given to St. Patrick by Irish chief Daire, after St Patrick brought him and his horse back to life.

• When St. Patrick died, his followers argued about where to bury him? To settle the dispute, they harnessed two untamed oxen to a cart carrying St Patrick's earthly remains. Wherever the oxen stopped was where the saint would be buried. According to the legend, the oxen stopped when they reached Dun-lethglaisse, the site of the present Church of Ireland Cathedral, Downpatrick

• The jawbone of St.Patrick was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits and as a preservative against the evil eye?

• In 1931 Ernest Walton, who was born in Dungraven, Co. Waterford, split the atom for the first time? This scientific landmark was achieved with an accelerator built to his own design. Walton and his partner John Cockcroft received the 1951 Nobel Prize for Physics for their efforts.

• Leinster House in Dublin was originally built as a private home for the Duke of Leinster? At that time, the most fashionable part of Dublin was the North Side and he was asked why he was building on the South Side. He said "Where I go, fashion follows me" To this day the most fashionable part of Dublin is the South Side.

• Robert Barton of Co. Fermanagh composed the unofficial anthem of Australia, "Waltzing Matilda?"

• The lyrics to "Danny Boy" were written by an Englishman? His name was Frederic Edward Weatherly and he also wrote the lyrics to the popular WWI song, Roses of Picardy.

• St. Patrick might not be buried in Ireland at all? One legend says he ended his days in Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey and there is evidence of an Irish pilgrimage to his tomb during the reign of the Saxon King in A.D. 688.

• St. Patrick was the first person in history to speak out against slavery and he is the Patron Saint of the Excluded? By the time of his death, or shortly thereafter, the Irish stopped slave trading and they never took it up again.

• St. Patrick's real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat?

• In 1948, Harry Truman was the first American president to attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City?

• One of the more recent school-yard customs is to pinch anyone not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day?

• In 1999, the world's smallest St. Patrick's Day parade was held In Dripsey, Co. Cork? It was just 25 yards long and went from from one pub to another.

• The crocus, which flowers about this time in Ireland, is St Valentine's Flower?

• Yeats' described Co. Sligo as "the land of heart's desire?"

• I love you in Irish is Tá cion agam ort? Pronunciation: thaw kiuhn ag-gum urth

• Ireland's largest 'Chinatown', with a community 5,000 strong, is in the Botanic area of Belfast?

• You can only call yourself a true Dubliner if you were born between the North and c Roads?

• The phrase "The Emerald Isle" was first coined by the Belfast doctor and poet, William Drennan, in 1795?

• Four Irish writers have won the Nobel Prize for Literature? G. Shaw, W. B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney

• Mary of the Gaels is more commonly known as St. Brighid?

• Until the 1920s, on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) at Teltown, Co.Meath, couples could legally marry by simply walking toward each other? If the union didn't work out, they could 'divorce' by walking away from each other at the same place exactly a year and a day later.

• The world's most northerly vineyard is in Mallow, County Cork?

• Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, was once the hosiery capital of the world? Around the turn of the century, stockings and tights were widely known as 'Balbriggans'

• If some is described as "maggalore" it means they've had one too many? It's from the Irish phrase maith go lor which means "well on" or "good enough."

• If someone's glass is described as flathúil - flahool - it means overflowing? The literal translation is "chieftainlike" and has evolved to mean generous or liberal.

• If money is described as flúirseach (flew-shirk), it literally means that it is plentiful?

• Louis H. Sullivan, the Boston-born son of an Irish immigrant is said to have created the modern skyscraper?

• There are thirteen Dublins in the United States?
According to the Weather Channel, there are 10 Dublins in the USA:
California
Georgia
Indiana
Mississippi
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
According to other sources, there’s also a Dublin in Michigan, Maryland and Kentucky. Beyond the USA, there’s a Dublin in Nova Scotia, Ontario and South Australia.
• The only town in the world to be named St. Patrick is in Missouri, USA?

• The medieval purgatory on Lough Derg, Co. Donegal was believed to be one of the two entrances to Hell, Mount Etna on Sicily being the other?

• Squire Watson, an eccentric 18th century Kilkenny landowner, had such an unshakeable belief that he would be reincarnated as a fox that he had a luxurious marble den built in the grounds of his estate in anticipation of his return?

• In 1922, at the height of the Irish Civil War, Free State Brigadier Patrick Paul escaped from his Republican captors in Waterford disguised as a mother superior?

• Over 800 million cans of Guinness Draught have been sold in over 70 countries since the brand's launch in 1989?

• Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, took a supply of Guinness with him on his travels to Samoa?

• At 198 calories a pint, Guinness has fewer calories than a pint of skimmed milk or orange juice?

• There are documentary records of 9,724 shipwrecks around the Irish coast?

• Ernesto Guevara Lynch, the father of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, was a descendant of a Galway woman, Ana Lynch y Oritz, who settled in Argentina in the 18th century?

• Dublin's first bus route was inaugurated in 1919 by the Clondalkin Omnibus Company, using a wooden body from a horse-drawn vehicle on a five-ton chassis? Source: The new Encyclopedia of Ireland

• The password for George Washington's troops in Boston on March 17, 1776 was "St. Patrick"?

• Catherine McCarthy, known as the "jolly Irishwoman of the Lower East Side" was the mother of notorious outlaw Billy the Kid?

• Comedic genius and creator of the Keystone Cops, Mack Sennett, was the son of Irish immigrants?

• Kevin Street Garda Station was once the Palace of the Archbishop of Dublin?

• The police station in Dungannon, County Tyrone, should overlook the Khyber Pass? in the 19th century, the plans for this fearsome fortress-type building were sent by mistake to Ireland instead of India!

• In Sligo, you still officially need a licence to buy molasses? It's a legal hangover from the days when the county was the poitin capital of Ireland.

• The first casualty of the Irish Civil War (1922-23) was a Free State Sniper who was smashed over the head with a teapot by an elderly Dublin woman?

• In the old days, it was the custom for the oldest girl in an Irish family to marry first and her sisters according to age afterwards?

• Dublin's oldest traffic light is situated beside the Renault garage in Clontarf? The light, which is still in full working order, was installed in 1893 outside the home of Fergus Mitchell who was the owner of the first car in Ireland.

• Scotland's capitol, Edinburgh, is named after the Irish nun Edana who founded a convent there in the 6th century?

• In 1986, a 900 year old cheese was found perfectly preserved, in a Tipperary bog?

• Cahirciveen in Kerry was once so inaccessible from the rest of Ireland that it was quicker to send newspapers and mail from Dublin via New York?

• John Tyndall, a physicist who was born in Leighlin Bridge, Co. Carlow, was first to discover why the sky is blue? Don't you just love it that it was an Irishman?

• The Devil's Bit mountain near Thurles, County Tipperary, is so called because Satan, furious at finding no wicked souls in Ireland as he flew over it, supposedly bit a chunk out of the rock in his rage?

• A monkey appears on the FitzGerald coat of arms in tribute to the family pet which rescued the infant 1st Earl of Kildare from a fire at Kilkea castle in the 14th century?

• Covering some 400 square miles, the midland Bog of Allen is the largest peat bog in the world?

• Trout from Lough Melvin in Co, Fermanagh taste like chicken when cooked? According to legend, St. Patrick transformed them from fowl to fish.

• The largest carillon of bells in the British Isles (128 of them) is housed in the spire of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cork?

• Dublin's oldest workhouse closed its doors for the last time in July 1969? Based in Smithfield, it sheltered as many as 10,000 orphans during the 170 years it was in operation

• Ireland is the world's 20th largest island?

• The milk drawn from a hazelnut kernel, when added to mead or honeyed water, was once used to help cure a cough?

• Dublin's West-Link bridge lanes are the busiest in Europe, possibly even in the world? Each lane handles 20,700 vehicles a day, compared to 10,800 per lane at New York's George Washington Bridge.

• Most likely, the oldest pub in the world is in Ireland? The Guinness Book of Records confirms that Sean's Bar in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, built in the year 900, is the oldest pub in Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales, and is probably the oldest pub in the world. Sean's Bar was built 300 years before Athlone Castle across the street and the building still contains a section of the "Clay & Wattle" wall with which it was originally built. The Brazen Head in Dublin has long claimed to be Ireland's oldest pub, but it is in fact 700 years junior to its Athlone counterpart.

• The original Abbey Theatre in Dublin was opened in 1904 on the site of a morgue?

• The world's most northerly vineyard is in Mallow, Co. Cork?

• The ancestors of the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, were from County Fermanagh?

• The first mummy to be seen publicly outside Egypt was displayed in Belfast in 1824? It is still there.

• A holy tree on the Tyrone shore of Lough Neagh was said to bring good fortune to those who hammered coins into its trunk? It eventually died of metal poisoning.

• On April 13th, 1829, the day the English Parliament gave the vote to Irish Catholics, the statue of George Walker - Protestant hero of the 1689 siege of Derry - which had stood quietly on the city's famous walls for more than a century, inexplicably crumbled?

• The popular song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was written by Bob Geldof?

• "Christmas in Killarney" was written by singer-songwriter John Redmond of Burditt Hill, in Clinton, Massachusetts?

• The carol "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night" was written by poet-laureate of England, Dublin-born Nahum Tate?

• The first pantomime in Ireland, "The Magic Rose", was staged at the Theatre Royal in Dublin in 1811?

• December 27, the feast of St John, was believed to be a good day for farmers to borrow money in order to buy new seed for the coming season?

• Shane MacGowan's classic "Fairytale of New York" is the most widely played song on Irish radio every Christmas?

• According to Irish folklore, it's bad luck to take the Christmas decorations down before January 6?

• To have good health in the coming year, you should eat an apple on Christmas Eve?

• You should never launder a Christmas gift before giving it to the recipient? It washes out the luck? (Especially if it's a DVD player!)

• In 1171, King Henry II took Christmas festivities to Ireland? He went there to get the Irish chiefs to swear allegiance to the English Crown, and on finding them very agreeable, so history tells us, he had a huge hall built, in traditional Irish style, in a village near Dublin, called Hogges. There he laid on a sumptuous feast, introducing the Irish to the customs of tournaments, Christmas plays, and mumming

• It was on Christmas Eve in 1601 that the Irish and Spanish armies were defeated in the Battle of Kinsale?

• Long before Christianity came to Ireland, it was customary to place holly leaves and branches around the home during winter? This was intended as a kindly and hospitable gesture as it was believed that the good people who inhabited the forests would come into the home and use the holly as shelter against the cold. This may actually have had some basis in fact, as holly growing in the wild is often used as shelter by small animals and insects.

• A US Marine of Irish descent, Daniel Joseph Daly, was awarded the Medal of Honor twice?

• The "father of Argentina's Navy" was Admiral William Brown who wasborn in Foxford, Co. Mayo?

• Ireland's last Great War veteran was Thomas "Tommy" Shaw who was 102 when he died in 2002. He was buried with full military honours in Bangor, Co. Down, and a bugler from the Royal Irish Regiment sounded the Last Post.

• It's said to be lucky to breakfast by candlelight on Christmas and New Year's morning?

• One should always wear something new at Christmas (and Easter, too) or new garments will be few in the coming year?

• It is unlucky to wear a ragged garment on Christmas Day? A hole meant a leak in the purse. However, if clothing is torn on the festival, it should not be sewn; it should be pinned together.

• Ireland is the best place on the planet to avoid an earthquake? No epicentre has ever been recorded there.

• Over half a million Irish homes now have a computer, and 80 per cent of those have internet access?

• Ireland has more dogs per capita than any other EU country?

Green Beer, take it or leave it?

As an Irish American I have grown up with all the Saint Patrick's Day customs including green beer. I have worn my green shirts and shamrock shades, painted rainbows and pots of gold on my face. I never miss a good Irish Pub Crawl, or a good old fashioned Irish brawl, but I have never had a green beer. I prefer my beer dark and the thought of a watery beer and food dye cocktail does not appeal to the beer lover in me. That does not mean that you should not go full on Irish this Saint Patrick's Day. If you want green beer simply add a few drops of blue food coloring into a light colored beer. It is that easy, I bet you could even add it to ginger ale or apple juice for the non drinkers.

 There are different versions of where this tradition started, though it seems no one really knows. Some say the tradition probably started in Boston or New York, where there are large numbers of Irish-Americans. There is also the tradition of “drowning the shamrock”. The custom of imbibing alcohol on St. Patrick's Day comes from an old Irish legend. As the story goes, St. Patrick was served a measure of whiskey that was considerably less than full. St. Patrick took this as an opportunity to teach a lesson of generosity to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper that in his cellar resided a monstrous devil who fed on the dishonesty of the innkeeper. In order to banish the devil, the man must change his ways. When St. Patrick returned to the hostelry some time later, he found the owner generously filling the patrons' glasses to overflowing. He returned to the cellar with the innkeeper and found the devil emaciated from the landlord's generosity, and promptly banished the demon, proclaiming thereafter everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day. This custom is known as Pota Phadraig or Patrick's Pot. The custom is known as "drowning the shamrock" because it is customary to float a leaf of the plant in the whiskey before downing the shot.

I am not sure how it started, but I am positive it will never end.  We will continue to paint ourselves and and everything in our  world green for a day to celebrate our immense pride. It is our thing, it is what we do (most of us). We are Irish American, and we are proud!

Sláinte!

Irish Scones Recipe

Irish Scones

Makes 6 Scones

1 cup white flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 pound butter, softened 
2 ounces sugar 
1 egg, slightly beaten 
2 ounces milk 
Sultanas (white raisins) optional 
Walnut halves (optional) 

Mix flour and baking powder. Add butter, blending 
until mixture is butter-colored. Add sugar and continue 
to mix well. Add half the beaten egg and all the milk. 
Add raisins or some nuts, if desired, mixing well to 
make a sticky dough. Turn dough onto floured board and 
knead at least 5 minutes or longer. Cut dough into 
rounds and place on greased baking sheet or hot frying 
pan. Brush tops of scones with remainder of beaten egg. 
Place walnut halves on top, if desired. Bake at 350 to 
375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until brown. If 
preparing over an open fire, heat frying pan till very 
hot. Place scones in pan and cook 7 to 8 minutes. Turn 
and cook 7 to 8 minutes more. 

Candlemas

Candlemas - February 2nd - celebrates the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Purification of the Virgin Mary. As with many festivals in the liturgical calendar, this one has its origins in ancient Rome.In Roman times, candles were carried through the streets and women observed purification rites. Even today, in many countries, women who had borne children the year before participate in candlelit processions - an activity the Church gladly welcomes as it symbolizes the purification of the Virgin Mary.
In ancient Celtic cultures, the period between February 1st and 2nd is called Imbolc - the first day of spring, midway through the dark half of the year. It was a time when the stirring of new life manifested itself in the first flow of milk in the udders of pregnant ewes - a sure sign that the lambing season was about to begin. The Church tried to replace Imbolc which was dedicated to the Goddess of Youth and Fertility - Bride. Thus, in the 5th century, February 1st became St. Brighid's Day and February 2nd became Candlemas.
There's a popular legend which explains why Candlemas falls immediately after St. Brighid's Day. Mary was very nervous about bringing the infant Jesus to the crowded Temple. St. Brighid promised to help her by distracting the crowds. She did this by appearing to the multitude wearing a headdress bearing many lighted candles. In gratitude, Mary decreed that a feast day honoring St. Brighid should take place the day before Candlemas.

In Ireland, Candlemas lapsed during the time of the Penal Laws but was revived afterwards. People donated candles to their local church or took their own to be blessed. These would then be used on special occasions such as station Masses or when the holy sacraments were administered to the sick.

Weather forecasts were often made on this date. It was once believed that if the day was sunny and fair, more winter weather was to come, but if a lark was heard singing, that was a sign of an early spring. There is also a lot of folklore as well as superstitions involving candles. These are necessarily related to Candlemas and they're not exclusive to Ireland; however, since so many candles are lit on this day, it would be prudent to know what certain signs mean.

A bright spark in the wick is sometimes said to indicate that a stranger is coming or that a letter will arrive for the person nearest to the candle. A wavering flame where there is no draft is a harbinger of windy weather. A candle that doesn't light easily foretells rain, and in some areas, a bluish flame means frost.

It was considered very ill-omened to leave a candle burning in an empty room. The only exception is the Christmas candle which should be left to burn all through the night of Christmas Eve to light the way for the Holy Family and also to ensure light, warmth and plenty in the coming year.

To snuff out a candle by accident is a sign of a wedding; and no candle should ever be allowed to burn down to the socket of the candlestick. It should be blown out before that. Otherwise, misfortune may come to someone in the house, and in certain coastal areas, a sailor or fisherman may drown at sea.

At one time it was thought to be very unlucky to light three candles with a single taper. This superstition has survived in the avoidance of lighting three cigarettes with one match. It was also asking for misfortune to burn three candles at the same time. Apparently, Charles Stuart Parnell, the Irish nationalist leader was well-acquainted with the superstition. In his book, Life of Parnell, Barry O'Brien writes that a friend once visited Parnell when he was ill and found him lying in a bedroom illuminated by four candles. During the visit, one of the candles went out; Parnell immediately snuffed out another while remarking how unlucky it was to have three lights burning together.

Finally, in this brief look at candle lore, it is said to be very ill-omened to light a candle from the fire on the hearth. There are those who believe that if a person does this, they will become impoverished. As a measure of protection from this misfortune or any others for that matter, here is a blessing by Andrew Greeley, written expressly for the saints who celebrate their feast days in February:

May good St. Brighid keep you warn till spring
And fill your head with poetry and song
May your true heart with the help of Valentine
Love you deeply this month and all year long
May Blaise protect you from the common cold and sore throat, hacking cough and snuffy nose
May Mother Mary's candles light your road and at the end of the day bring sweet repose
And may God, who tells the stories of His love through the saints, who love us too, bless you.