I find it quite remarkable to see so many people line up to follow traditions in the spirit of fun, yet have no idea why we do these things. Does no one care to ask? Does no one care, at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you, and actually if you all knew the reasons behind this particular holiday, my following article wouldn't mean very much and I would be left with nothing of interest to write about.
So, St. Patrick, who was this guy? Well, despite common belief, he was not born in Ireland, nor did he drive all the snakes from the country, or even introduce Christianity to Ireland. And even more interesting, to me anyway, is that the original color associated with this patron saint is blue, not green! So where did we get these ideas? Why is a four leaf clover lucky?
Maewyn Succat, his birth name, was allegedly born to a very well-to-do family in Rome, sometime late in the fourth century. His father, Calphurnius was a deacon in the Roman church. However the family history supports that the job was taken for tax incentives, not so much the drive of religious beliefs.
Around the age of 16 Maewyn was taken captive by a group of Irish Raiders. He was held in captivity somewhere near the West coast of Ireland, perhaps in County Mayo, for 6 years. It was during this time of solitude and slavery that he turned to his religion and God for solace and support. Sometime around the age of 22 he received a vision of God in a dream, telling him that it was time for him to go home. He escaped on foot and walked approximately 200 miles to board a ship and return home. Shortly after arriving home he received another vision-led direction from God, telling him that he should return to Ireland as a missionary and spread the Gospel.
He received his ordination into priesthood after more than 15 years of religious training, and was given his Catholic name, Patrick from Pope Celestine. His mission to Ireland was to provide guidance to the Christian's in the area and to convert the Irish. Which means that Patrick did not introduce Christianity to the Irish Nation, but he did play a very large part in spreading it.
In trying to explain the Holy Trinity, Patrick used resources at hand. From the common clover, or shamrock, he showed the people of Ireland how the Holy Trinity was like the three leaves of the clover, separate but united at the stem. By living within the country for six years he was familiar with the pagan beliefs and religious symbols. He took the image of the sun, a very powerful Irish icon, and placed it in the center of the Christian cross. Thus creating the, easily recognizable, Celtic Cross. (That is the story, but probably not completely accurate as the Celtic Cross has shown up in history long before that)
It is believed that Patrick died on March 17th, around 460 A.D. which is complimentary to the date we celebrate him now. The holiday behind the patron saint of Ireland is still recognized as a religious holiday in Ireland, and other parts of the world. But it is the secular symbols that we recognize more easily on St. Patrick's day.
The wearing of green, this actually came from the clovers, which he was remembered for. The green clovers turned to green ribbons and during the 1798 rebellion, became green attire. Looking to make a political statement the soldiers of Ireland dressed in entirely green uniforms, hoping to catch some public attention. And it seems they have, for if you don't wear green now, you are liable to get a pinch!
And the clovers, how many times have you looked for a four leaf clover, or heard of their supposed "luck"? Well now that we know that St. Patrick used the 3 leaf clover, it must certainly leave a question with you. Well lucky for you I have done my homework. The four leaf clover dates back before Christianity, and has not much to do with St. Patrick's day at all.
The Irish were primarily a nature based religion for many years, the Celtic Priests, known as Druids are responsible for the luckiness behind the four leaf clover. It was believe that the Celtic Charm had great powers against malevolent spirits and it was highly acclaimed to bring good fortune upon a person to possess one. From there it has been held to represent Faith, Hope, Love, and of course, Luck. Being that the chances of finding a true four leaf clover are very rare, I'm sure that a person that does stumble upon one must hold some amount of luck!
The other traditions, green beer, feasting on Irish food, are very simple to explain. Ireland is known, and has been known, for its beer loving patrons, and the Feast of St. Patrick has been held by religious followers for centuries. So if you are going to celebrate St. Patrick, your beer might as well be green and your food might as well be cabbage and corned beef!
I hope you all have a very lucky St. Patrick's Day, and that there is Whiskey in your jar!
This is another famous Irish Song, and the scenery in the video is breath taking!
This is the article featured in February's edition of the Ferry County View... enjoy!
It seems as though that time of year has come around, the season of minor holidays. Certain days in the year most currently focused to get people to spend money. We kick off this season with St. Valentine's Day. So who is this Valentine character and why does he have a whole day dedicated to him? The history of this romantic holiday is shrouded in legends and mystery, containing both ancient Roman and Christian traditions.
One of the many legends says that Valentine was a priest that secretly married soldiers to their sweethearts in third century Rome. During this time Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage for young men, under the ideal that single men made better soldiers than those with families. Of course, when Valentine was discovered committing these horrible acts, he was put to death. This marks at least one of the three martyred Catholic saints name Valentine, or Valentinus.
Another legend suggests that Valentine sent the first "valentine" to a young girl, possibly his jailor's daughter, while imprisoned. Apparently this girl would visit him during his confinement, and before his death it is rumored that he wrote her a letter, signing it "From your Valentine."
There are other stories that suggest that Valentine, or at least one of them, was killed for trying to help Christians escape the Roman prisons where they were being tortured and beaten. However, that story is not nearly as romantic as the holiday suggests it should be, and is looked upon very lightly in most history. Whatever his story, given his image of a sympathetic, and most certainly romantic, hero, it is not hard to see how he became one of the most popular saints in England and France during the Middle Ages.
As with most holidays, the true origins are very clouded, and most often combined with other traditions, so it soon becomes impossible to decipher when and why we actually celebrate these days the way we do.
For instance, the very date of St. Valentine's Day, February 14th. Some believe that this date is celebrated as the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial, most likely occurring around 270 A.D. Where there are others that suggest that the Christian church chose to celebrate in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebrations of the Lupercalia festival.
For ancient Romans, February was the official start to spring, and was a time for purification. Like today's "spring cleaning", houses were ritually swept clean and sprinkled with salt and spelt, a type of wheat. February 15th, the "ides of February," began Lupercalia, a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and to the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. The festivities began when members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would assemble at the sacred cave where it was believed that Romulus and Remus were raised by a lupa, or she-wolf. There they would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.
Young men would then cut the goat's hide into strips, dip them in the sacrificial blood and go back to town. On their way and throughout the town they would gently slap the fields of crops and the women with these bloodied goat hide strips. To be slapped with a bloody goat hide was not feared, but welcomed by the Roman women. For being touched with the sacred strips was suggested to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day the city's bachelor's would draw names from a larger urn in the city center. The names were of all the young women, and these two would be paired for the year. Often times these pairings ended in marriage.
In, or around, 498 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared February 14th St. Valentine's Day and the Roman "lottery" for romantic pairing was deemed "un-Christian" and outlawed.
More currently, sometime in the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed throughout England and France that February 14th marked the beginning of the mating season for birds. Obviously, this added to the idea that mid February, or St. Valentine's Day, should be a day for romance.
In doing my research for this article I was surprised to not find any symbolizing of candy and flowers. However, the jail letters indicate the tradition of exchanging cards to mark the occasion. Which recent studies show that there are about 141 million Valentine's Day cards exchanged every year.
So I suggest being original, or getting back to the roots of the holiday. Why waste money on flowers, candy and jewelry? Confess your love with a goat hide (you might want to see how she feels about that first) or just send a card. I believe the rest of the modern traditions, fancy decorations, dinners and all the other gifts, are obviously a newer custom instilled by the retail markets to give us another reason to expect and to purchase gifts. But that's a different topic entirely!
Awesome. It is definitely one of my most used words these days. That's ok because I have friends that like that word. Well one in particular uses that word a lot. He can't really help it. Being the self appointed Minister of Team Awesome and all. But that's not really what I wanted to write about today. Not directly anyway.
Awesome. I think I'm doing pretty awesome at the moment. Yes I joined the dating sites and I think it was a good test for me. I'm not opposed, but I'm not really chomping at the bit to go get all serious and involved and stuff.
I'm really quite content where I am at. I know, I know, "content" means it could be AWESOME, if I let it. And it really is. I still have sleepless nights though. Which suck. Bad.
I went out for the 2nd time since October. I was home at a decent time, but still couldn't freaking sleep! My brain, even slightly fogged by beer, would not stop running! It was one of those rare times when my content self says - what if it was AWESOME!?
Silly really, and they were not bad thoughts, I was not having a personal pity party with my pillows all night. I just was thinking. Day dreaming, but it was at night...but since I was awake I think it still qualifies as day dreaming? I don't really know but you do understand where I am going right? Anyway, I have some really great people in my life right now. I have some wonderful, supportive friends. Friends that don't let me be too hard on myself, that call me on it when I do. You know who you are. And going out again made me realize that these are the people I need to focus on. They actually care about me. Yeah, so a drunk chick told me I was beautiful, thanks and stuff but really?
By the way - being a girl, if a girl tells you that you are beautiful and gorgeous (obviously she was drunk, I was SO styling in my gray khaki like pants, t shirt and hoodie) But anyway - are you supposed to compliment back? I just got to the point I could TAKE a compliment without telling people they are stupid and to shut up. Seriously, it's taken a lot for me to say "Thank you" and not "Thank you but..."
So what I was talking about. I like to drink, yes. I like to dance and I like to sing. I do not have to go to the bar to do this, but it is OK if I chose to do so. I can hang out with my friends and be completely sober and still have a blast. I'm just glad I'm seeing my options more clearly.
I wish I wasn't so isolated in my area though, I miss some friends. I have a couple of long distance friends that I really, REALLY enjoy talking/texting to and I just wish I could hang out more.
I guess that's where my fantasy things were going last night. "It would have been so much fun if so-and-so was here!" I really spent a good 2 hours thinking about how awesome it was that I had such great friends in my life. Which, if I have to be sleepless I'd rather it be over how lucky I am, than, I don't crying about being home alone on a Saturday with no love of my own. And I was not doing that - for the most part. Haha. OK come on, you know that thought had to pass at some point, but I was pretty comfy cuddling my pillows and thinking happy thoughts about people I care about.
If you don't know that line, then we probably can't be friends anymore. I finally got around to writing an article of the Ferry County View, well this would be my second article. The first one being an informational interview of a local celebrity - ha ha hardly. But he would probably like to think so!
Anyway I was asked to write a "Valentine" article, to make the paper more lovey-dovey holiday like. Yeah, if I went with my honest opinion of the holiday right now it would probably induce feelings of depression and hopelessness. Not that I actually feel that way, I'm not as jaded as you might think. But seriously - you want a single mom to write a lovey-dovey article about the most "romantic" day of the year? Good luck with that.
So I did the next best thing I do...second to giving my opinion whether requested or not, I gave facts, historical facts. I'm good at that! I love history, I really do. And I love the folklore and legends behind our current, modern holidays.
Modern, that's funny. Being that most of these "Christian" holidays have absolutely no foundations in Christianity, actually more likely adopted to the Pagan festivals to make it easier for Pagans to accept the Christian beliefs. This is a totally different subject, and one that I really don't feel like getting into right now.
Anyway, Valentine's day. A day where you go buy chocolates, flowers,jewelry or at least a nice card for someone you care about. AWESOME. I have lots of people I care about, so should I send each of my friends a valentine? Not really the custom as adults, however it is the custom in grade school.
Do I have a 'valentine' this year? If by Valentine you mean an imprisoned priest in love with me, sending me love notes through my father, no. And if you mean in more conventional, easier to understand terms, it's still no. Not really, I mean I have friends that I will probably send a card to, because, I do care about them.
Does that mean romantically? No. Friends are friends and each and every one of them should be cherished.
But I love the songs that come to mind when I think of Valentine's day. For instance my opening line, probably most recognized from Night at The Roxbury, one of my favorite movies.
I'm still doing pretty good on my goals, as far as dating. I had that one little mishap and that date to Wal-Mart, believe it or not that didn't go much further. Other than that I have not been in a relationship, well since September. Go me!
I did join a dating website.... yeah I know what you are thinking. Anyway, it was a holiday loneliness thing that overcame me and I did it ok? I might have even joined a couple. So what?! Don't judge me! Most of the people have not been even friendship material, or they just creep me out so bad I can't even respond. Something like that, but I have met a couple people that I have been corresponding with. And let me clarify, even in all my profile information it says "friendship" I can have friends. It's ok. It's healthy. And apparently online dating is still more widely accepted than World of Warcraft. Which I do not understand. I mean, you really get to know things about people while fighting side by side against the scourge. Geek? Yes, however, at this point you really shouldn't be surprised.
So LOVE, that's what this is about. Did you know that in the Pagan festivals of ancient Rome it was custom for boys to cut up the hide of the sacrificial goat and soak the strips of hide in blood then hit the women of Rome with those strips? Could you imagine?
Eww... however it symbolized fertility and women actually wanted to be hit with bloody goat hide. Oh and I also found it interesting that there was a romantic Lottery, where the eligible maidens would put their names in a giant urn (the symbolism there I will not even get into) and then the bachelors of the city would draw names and they would be paired for the following year. What I found even more interesting was that these pairings were stated to "often" end in marriage. 1. To use the word 'end' as they get married, and 2. Was this courtship? Was this just carnal lust for a year and then... "by the way dear, I'm going to go ahead and put my name back in the urn this year." Either way I found the images of that amusing. Of course the Pope deemed this un-Christian and outlawed the practice.
Just so we are clear... I do not hate St. Valentine's Day and I do not hate those of you madly and deeply in love and want to celebrate this. But I do challenge you to not over use this holiday and forget about all the other 364 days in the year. The people you love should be told daily, and reminded of how much you appreciate them! This goes for friends too! I'm horribly bad at this, I'm a very lazy friend, but I am working on it!
So go ahead and eat your chocolate (which is also a horrible tradition, when most people vow to eat healthier for New Years) Buy those flowers, make someone smile. Give a Valentine - or maybe a goat hide? Just do it more frequently than one day a year!
I Wish you all a happy Valentine's Day, oh...and yeah, I love you too.
I'm unique, one of a kind. But aren't we all? Seriously though, I'm a mom, of two wonderful kids. I'm doing what I can to be a good mom and survive on a coffee girls wages. I love people and sarcasm. I like to write and I usually have lots of random ideas floating in my head, so I figured why not put those out to torture the people of the web? So I did!
