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Volume 3, Issue 21 March 17, 2006
It’s St. Patrick’s Day!!! By Teresa Lugo Ever wondered how St. Patrick’s Day started? Well, it all started with Saint Patrick, who was born in the late fourth century. He was a slave for six years until he escaped and undertook religious training. He later became was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He is known for driving the snakes from Ireland, even though there never have been snakes in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is associated with everything that is Irish, for example: green, gold, shamrocks and luck. Most important of all is St. Patrick’s Day, a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. It is celebrated March 17^th, because St. Patrick is thought to have died on that date. It started out in Ireland and now it’s worldwide, especially in the large American cities that have large Irish-American populations. (Continued à)	Patrick, patron saint of Ireland Some of the customs and traditions of St. Patrick’s Day are: If you don’t wear green, then those around you who are wearing green are allowed to pinch you. Pub-hopping at various Pubs that serve green beer and Irish music to go around. Making blessings and toasts that give you the opportunity to bless loved ones whether they’re family or friends. On the evening of St. Patrick’s Day many recite a popular blessing that goes like this: “May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”

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What’s St. Patty’s Day all about? By Amelia Torres We celebrate Saint Patrick's Day each year on March 17th. This holiday has everyone wearing green (so they don't get pinched) and chatting of four leaf clovers, shamrocks, lucky leprechauns, and kissing some big rock called a blarney stone. Does it all sound a bit strange? It did to me too but after a bit of research it all made sense. Here's what I found out. Did you know that Saint Patrick's name at birth was Maewyn Succat? How do you even pronounce that! He was born somewhere near the end of the fourth century and took on the name Patrick, after he became a priest. At the age of sixteen Maewyn Succat was kidnapped by pirates from his native Britain. He was then sold into slavery in Ireland. Maewyn worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six long years of slavery he escaped to the northern coast of Gaul. (Continued à)

All animations by animationlibrary.com In Gaul, Maewyn became Patrick (a Christian name). He studied in the monastery for twelve years. He decided it was his calling to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. Patrick was about sixty years old when he returned to Ireland. Legend has it that he had a winning personality which helped him win converts. He used the shamrock (a three-leafed clover) to help explain the concept of the Trinity (father, son, holy spirit) to the Irish pagans. He traveled throughout Ireland where he built monasteries and schools. Legend has it that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, even though there never have been snakes on that island. They were said to have gone into the sea and drowned. The snake was a pagan symbol, and this tale probably represents Patrick’s success in driving paganism out of Ireland. Patrick worked as a missionary in Ireland for thirty years. He died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. That day has been celebrated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. The first year St. Patrick's Day celebrated in America was in 1762 in Boston, Massachusetts.

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St Patrick: Truth and Legend… From our archives… The person we know as St. Patrick was born in Wales about AD 385. His actual name was Maewyn Succat. He was sold into slavery when he was about 16. His owner took him to Ireland where he was a shepherd for 6 years. While a slave Maewyn studied and turned to religion. He escaped slavery and went back to Wales. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary with the goal of converting all Ireland to Christianity. He took the Irish name “Patrick”, and used the three leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Patrick was so successful at winning converts that he angered the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but always escaped. He traveled everywhere in Ireland, establishing schools, monasteries and churches everywhere he went. Patrick’s work in Ireland went on for thirty years. Patrick then retired to County Down where he died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been celebrated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. (Continued à)	A lot of folklore is associated with St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is really true. Some legends claim that Patrick raised people from the dead and drove all the snakes from Ireland. Though originally a Catholic feast day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a holiday that many folks like to celebrate. The holiday, March 17th, is remembered with parades in many cities across the United States. The largest of these is in New York City. This parade, held since 1762, draws a million spectators each year. Here in Minnesota, the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in St. Paul, a city where many Irish immigrants once made their homes. Click here to take the St. Patrick’s Day on-line quiz

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March 17^th This day in history 1762 York City, the first parade honoring St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was held by Irish soldiers serving in the British army. 1776  British forces were forced to evacuate Boston following General George Washington's placement of cannons trained on the city. 1862  In hopes of stopping the flood of counterfeit cash produced by Confederate agents, the U.S. Treasury issued greenbacks, or money printed with black ink on the front and green ink on the back. 1905 Future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt married Eleanor Roosevelt on this day. That’s right, he married his cousin (fifth cousin, anyway)! 1906 A powerful earthquake rocked Taiwan, killing over 1,200 people. 1970 After an investigation, the U.S. Army accused 14 officers of covering up an incident at My Lai, Vietnam, in 1968. U.S. soldiers massacred Vietnamese civilians, including women and children, at My Lai on March 16, 1968.

Irish-American Trivia Did You Know… By Joan Vasquez - There are 34 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. That’s nine times the total population of Ireland! - There are three states where Irish is the leading ethnic group: Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. - Irish ancestry ranks the top five in every state but two (Hawaii and New Mexico). - 4.8 million immigrants from Ireland have been admitted to the U.S. since 1820. - The value of U.S. imports from the Republic of Ireland during 2004 exceeded $23 billion. - There are nine cities in the United States that use the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. Since Census 2000, Dublin, Calif., has the largest population of these places with 35,581 residents.

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Do they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in
Mexico?

By Javier Esqueda

The San Patricios, or the St. Patricks, were a famous army battalion in the Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848.

Hundreds of Irish immigrants joined the U.S. Army when war with Mexico broke out in 1846. But many of the Irish deserted and joined forces with Mexico. They did so after learning that the Mexicans they were fighting were fellow Catholics.

Led by Capt. John Riley, himself an Irishman, the deserters called themselves the St. Patrick's Battalion (in Spanish, los San Patricios). They fought against their former U.S. comrades in just about every campaign of the war.

According to one Mexican general, the San Patricios "deserved the highest praise, because they fought with daring bravery." Eventually, Mexico lost the war and surrendered. The price for peace was high – Mexico ended up giving almost half of its territory to the United States.

(Continued à)

Execution of los San Patricios in
Mexico by U.S. Army

Postage stamps jointly issued by Mexico and Ireland on the 150 Anniversary of the execution of los San Patricios

Each San Patricio who deserted from the U.S. side was arrested and given a court-martial trial. Many were set free, but nearly half of the San Patricio defectors were hung in a mass execution by U.S. troops.

There are two ceremonies in Mexico every year to honor the San Patricio Battalion: one on September 12, the anniversary of their execution, and the other on March 17, St. Patrick's Day.

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ARIES (MARCH 21- APRIL 19) – May the luck of the Irish be with you today!

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) – Make sure you eat your bowl of lucky charms today or else bad luck will shadow you all day.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) – Keep your eyes open for a rainbow – you’re bound to find a pot of gold.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)-If you have your eye on someone, just kiss the blarney stone and when you speak to them, you will convince them of your good intentions.

LEO (JULY 23- AUG 22)- If you are truly into the St. Patrick’s day spirit, then 3 will be your lucky number.

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEPT 22)- Beware the green beer – it will make you sick!

LIBRA (SEPT 23-OCT 22)- If you have anything green to wear, you should, because it will bring you good luck all day.

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21)- Keep an eye out for a leprechaun today because if you catch him you get to keep his stash of gold.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21)- Today is not a good day for you. Since you need the luck, you better go and look for a four-leaf clover.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22- JAN 19)-Misfortune will follow you forever. Fortunately, it will never catch up.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20- FEB 18)- If you don’t want to get pinched you should wear green today.

PISCES (FEB 19- MARCH 20) – Today your eyes will be as emerald green as the Isle of Ireland.

This week’s Separated at Birth

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