Chapters in life.: St. Patrick's Day + Kien's Bday!

March 17, 2006 ( Friday )
St. Patrick's Day + Kien's Bday!

During lunch I was telling them ( jen, zac & chris ) bout today being St. Patrick's day and they were kinda like giving me the blur look ( you know the i-donno-what-the-heck-your-talking-about look ) So I was thinking, St. Patrick's Day is so not 'famous' one izzit? so decided to google about St. Patrick's Day..

Here's the results:

*walao, so many webbie!

An interesting sites I've stumbled upon: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/index.asp

After much searching and some reading, here are some of the facts i've managed to gather:-

- It turned out that st. patrick's day is bout this dude obviously his name was Patrick rite? Wrong! Actually he's given name was "Maewyn", then again, i guess he like the name Patrick better and decided to change his name.

- At the age of 16, he spent six years of slavery ( sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village ) in Ireland until he escaped and undertook religious training abroad, in WHICH, he then became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

- 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.

- 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. <-- So, that's how it happen! geee...

- Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated.

- Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead ( sounded like Jesus! ). He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that 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.

- Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer (yes, drink up people! It's a beer feast ;p). One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring. ( no wonder people use lotsa green during this day! )