Friday, March 16, 2012

It Ain't Easy Being Green

Welcome to the St. Patrick’s Day Blog Hop. Over 120 bloggers today are telling anything they can about being Irish, celebrating the day, wearing green, drinking green beer... pretty much anything!

Each author will be giving away a prize. Like a swag pack, gift cards, ebooks, print books, and so much more. On THIS blog, the prize is a $10 Starbucks gift certificate.

PLUS there will be TWO Grand Prizes for TWO different winners!

Grand Prize 1: Winner's Choice of a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
Grand Prize 2: Winner's Choice of a $90 Amazon or Barnes&Noble Gift Card

There are over 120 bloggers participating. Comment on as many as you want. The grand prize winners will be chosen at random from the commenters from ALL the blogs - meaning you can comment on EACH blog - meaning 120 entries to the grand prize.


Click on the links at the end of the post to visit the other blogs.

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Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but before I wrote this blog, the only thing I know about St. Patrick’s Day is that it’s on March 17, it’s an Irish holiday, and it’s an excuse to wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage, and drink beer.

So, I thought I’d do some quick research to find out the origin and meaning of SPD.

According to Wikepedia, it’s a cultural and religious holiday that commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), a patron saint of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.  It was made an official feast in the early 17th century and has become a celebration of Irish culture.

It is a public holiday in Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Montserrat. In North America, St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated since the late eighteenth century.

So, who exactly was Saint Patrick? He was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century. At 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He fled captivity and returned to Britain and joined the church, studying to be a priest. He was a Catholic Saint credited with converting the island to Christianity. Irish folklore tells that he used the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people.

What is a shamrock? It's not used just for Lucky Charms and Shamrock Shakes, but it’s actually a three-leafed plant. A white clover. It was traditionally used for its medical properties and was a popular motif in Victorian times. 

Why wear green? Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue.  Over the years, the color green became associated with the day. And, of course, shamrocks are green. Ironically, in Ireland, there is very little reference to green—it’s more of an American thing. I mean really—you don’t want to get pinched, do you?

Speaking of, why do we pinch people not wearing green on March 17? Apparently, the tradition of pinching started in the U.S. in the 1700s. St. Patrick’s Day celebrators thought wearing green made one invisible to leprechauns, who would pinch anyone they could see. Because everyone knows leprechauns can’t see you if you’re wearing green.

Why corned beef and cabbage? It’s considered a traditional Irish meal, but apparently in Ireland today, the serving of corned beef is primarily for tourists, and many Irish in Ireland don’t identify the meal as native cuisine. I’ve also heard that corned beef was the only meat that Irish immigrants could afford when they came to American, and that it’s now a reminder of their immigrant past.

And why is it called corned beef? The term comes from the treatment of the beef with “corns” of salt.

Why green beer? Really? You really need an answer for that? I didn’t think so.

So there you have it. A brief explanation of St. Patrick’s Day. Now don’t forget to wear green tomorrow. You don’t want those pesky leprechauns to see you…

After leaving your comment here, for a chance at a $10 Starbucks gift card, visit the other blogs linked below for your chance at their giveaways, and for a chance at the grand prizes!

48 comments:

  1. Thanks for the brief and entertaining history lesson.

    acm05atjuno.com

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  2. You're very welcome, Anne. And thank YOU for stopping by today. Have a fabulous Friday.

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  3. Nope no need to pinch me I always wear green lol.

    Happy St. Pattys Day!

    ~*Drea*~
    dreabecraft(@)aol.com

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  4. Thanks for the fun facts. Loved the one about wearing green! :)

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  5. Hey Drea--I always forget to wear green. Until one of my kids pinches me. :)

    Yelena--Yeah, St. Patrick's Day just wouldn't be the same if we were all wearing blue, would it?

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  6. Always love your posts Becky :)

    There was a huge concert (that felt like a party) in 5 Points (Columbia, SC) right outside my kid's apartment. The green beer flowed. Haven't found anything like that since we moved.

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  7. Happy St. Patty's Day

    ~Sara
    sarabook7237@gmail.com

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  8. Wow! Thanks for all the St. Patrick's Day information.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    bas1chsemail at gmail dot com

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  9. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Love the info on it!
    Thanks for being part of the hop!
    lexie.bookbug at gmail dot com

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  10. Thanks for all the information.
    Thanks for the fun giveaway.
    Happy St. Patrick's Day
    Jean
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

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  11. Thanks for the awesome facts and cool giveaways!
    prettyhaydengurl@yahoo.com

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  12. I'm still looking for a 4 leaf clover. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    Megonski216(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  13. Wow, I never knew alot of that. It was really interesting.
    Happy St. Patricks Day.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

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  14. i'm international so don' enter me for your giveaway
    This post was really interesting

    happy St Patrick's Day

    all the best

    isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. Happy St Pattys Day !
    ~Kym
    flwrs4ever(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. Thank for all of the interesting info! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    Krista
    theangrypollo{ AT }yahoo{DOT }com

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  17. I never knew the reason behind being pinched! Although I think the people who have pinched me in the past were not leprechauns. Shame on them!

    ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com

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  18. Thanks for the info! I didn't know much about the holiday either, but my family celebrates it every year!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    sqwalker2@hotmail.com

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  19. No leprachans coming near this family...I make sure we all wear green!

    books4me67 at ymail dot com

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  20. I will definitely be wearing green because my 11 year old nephew will be with me and he would delight in pinching me all day, lol. I still need to beat his older sister's for teaching him about slug-bugs, and all that, lol.
    Happy St. Patty's Day
    June
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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  21. Ill definitely wear green tomorrow! :) Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

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  22. I think some Starbucks would be good right after a St. Paddy's day bender! Thanks for the giveaway!
    OceanAkers(at)aol(dot)com

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  23. Some places even dye their water. It's too funny. It was fun as a kid.

    Now I used it as an excuse to have my book free and for a contest of my own.

    hopewelshwrites at gmail dot com

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  24. thanks for taking the time to research that! I learned some things i was unaware of and I AM irish :) I will be celebrating by wearing green

    Happy st patrick's day!

    catherine0807 at hotmail dot com

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  25. Thanks for the great giveaway!!!
    Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
    red_tigergirl2(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  26. Happy St. Paddy's Day ^.^

    Erica Pike

    eripike at gmail dot com

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  27. Thanks for the chance to win and happy St. Patrick's Day!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  28. I like Irish stew better than corn beef and cabbage, but try and find a place that serves that. So I stay home and make my own.

    proudarmymom32(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  29. I'll be wearing green. I have a green sweater that is warm and comfortable.

    Cambonified{at}yahoo{dot}com

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  30. Happy St. Patrick's Day & thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

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  31. Thanks for the giveaway!

    dlatany at gmail dot com

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  32. A woman after my heart...your giving away starbucks *dreamy sigh* Happy Saint paddys Day!! Ill tell you a secret...Im Irish and Ive never eaten corned beef.
    viajeradelmar@aol.com

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  33. MMMM, love Starbucks! Happy St. Pat's Day...thx for the giveaway op! :)

    barbbattaglia @ yahoo.com

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  34. Oooh, Starbucks?! I love you!

    Thank you so much for participating in this hop and for the giveaway chance!

    GFC follower robertsongena

    Gena Robertson
    robertsongena@hotmail.com

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  35. Thanks for the giveaway! No green for me, I don't like it.

    ainfingeratcomcastDOTnet

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  36. Wow, I did not know SO many of these little facts...so THANK YOU for enlightening me! I absolutely love St. Paddy's day...wearing green, most definitely! :D

    HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

    Thank you for your generosity, and for participating in this blog hop! :)

    GFC: ~Enamored Soul~
    Name: Hira Hasnain
    Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com

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  37. Thank you for sharing things I did not know either :)

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  38. Happy St. Paddy's Day! Thanks for the information. I love learning new things!
    Mel
    bournmelissa AT hotmail DOT com

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  39. Happy St. Patricks Day. Have a great weekend
    wanda flanagan
    flanagan@mebtel.net

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  40. Those damn leprechauns, lol.

    Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com

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  41. the hop is all msot over and then i hop to win some of them
    luck of the irish happy bd dawn my little sister
    desi the blonde at msn dot com

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  42. Excellent information! Thanks so much!
    Lmackesy at gmail dot com

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  43. Very fun post. I enjoyed the information.
    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  44. I will wear green & my shamrock pin. Tonight, I made corned beef reubens for dinner. I might have a beer...but it won't be green. It will be amber.

    Erin Go Bragh!

    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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  45. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Thank you for all of those fun facts!
    And for the giveaway. I will NOT forget to wear my green ;)

    trb0917 at gmail dot com

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  46. Better late than never.

    Thanks

    mmafsmith at gmsil dot com

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  47. Interesting post. Thanks for sharing.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  48. Congrats to Andrea I--the winner of a $10 Starbucks gift card! Andrea, I'll be emailing you to confirm your addy. :)

    (I used Random.org to generate the number I picked)

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