Happy St Patrick’s Day + 200

Welcome St. Patrick’s Day 2010. 

I believe in a previous life I must have lived, loved and died in Ireland.  I don’t believe there is a single place on this planet that I have wanted to set foot on more than the Emerald Isle, or Eire.   The land calls to me…..and when I look at images, especially older ones like the one above, it feels so familiar.  ~  Sigh  ~  Perhaps one day I will wander the hills and shores…..and know this is home.

There are so many things associated with St. Patrick’s Day….green being the number one thing that comes to mind.  Always had to wear green to avoid being pinched.  I once read that this was an American tradition started many moons ago and that wearing green would make you invisible to the leprechauns.  Apparently, leprechauns would pinch anyone they could see so you would pinch anyone not wearing green to remind them of the dangers.  Hmmm, so did that mean the people that pinched you were related to leprechauns? 

Here are a couple of things I found about common symbols for St. Patricks Days…..

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Corned Beef

Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick’s Day to share a “traditional” meal of corned beef and cabbage.

Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick’s Day at the turn of the century.

Irish immigrants living on New York City’s Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

If you would like to read more about traditions and symbols, click this link for history.com

Wishing you always…
Walls for the wind,
A roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire

And on another note….this post is my 200th.  Yikes ~ I can’t believe I made it to 100, much less 200!!  🙂  

For more information on the photo featured in today’s post, visit this Library of Congress Flickr page.  This photo is Innisfallen, Killarney , circa 1890 – 1900 and a photo-mechanical print: photochrom color.  They have many more including some then and now.