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Are you ready for St. Patrick's Day?


St.Pattie's Day Celebration

Saint Patrick’s Day to many is just a day to celebrate leprechauns and beer, right? And as a matter of fact it is; but there is much more to this cultural celebration than that! Saint Patrick’s Day, as the name suggests, is a religious holiday celebrated the 17th of March, said to be the day Saint Patrick, the “Apostle of Ireland” died, and a thus a day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers to missionaries worldwide.

So, what does the day or the Saint really have to do with leprechauns and shamrocks?!

On this day, Saint Patrick himself would use a 3-leaved shamrock found in the green hillsides of Ireland to explain to pagans in Ireland the Catholic concept of the holy trinity. Leprechauns on the other hand, don’t have much to do with Saint Patrick. However, the beloved Irish mythical creature dressed as a shoemaker is known for its sneaky behaviour and the treasure it hides. Legend has it that if you can spot one and keep it in your sight, he will be forced to point you in the direction of his pot of gold. So keep your eyes open Friday!

If you really want to step up you Saint Patrick’s Day game, here are some tips and customs to celebrate the date like the true Irish:

  1. The tradition of “drowning the shamrock” is said to bring good luck. It consists in wearing a shamrock on your lapel or hat on Saint Patrick’s Day, then placing it in your last celebratory drink to drink up! Just the drink, not necessarily the shamrock. Good luck!
  2. Toast your friends! What is better than celebrating with friends than to share a toast with them? Here is an example of a traditional toast for Saint Patrick’s Day, but feel free to come up with your own: “May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out.”

Here is Blog TO’s list with the 30 top St. Patrick’s Day events happening in Toronto, so you can put everything you learned here to practice! And if you’re not really into crowded pubs or beer, on March 19th the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is happening, which is an attraction for the whole family. For more info check their website here! And if you’re still not convinced here is a link to the video of 2016 parade.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s is about being with friends and celebrating the good things in life, so remember drink responsibly and have fun!