Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day during the 19th century. Green, in Irish legends, was worn by fairies and immortals, and also by people to encourage their crops to grow. St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland; the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to Christianity. The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737. In Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day, the rivers are dyed green. Mayor Daley is also of Irish descent. In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads. Most Catholics attend mass in the morning and then attend the St. Patrick's Day parade. Shamrocks are worn on the lapel on this day. In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair Many young people dye their hair green for the special day. Many people wear green on this holiday to avoid being pinched. The phrase, "Drowning The Shamrock" is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year. Many bars in the United States, and abroad, serve green beer to celebrate St. Patty's Day. Lucky Charms, a favorite cereal brand among many, young and old, was created in 1963, with its popular mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun. Its jig is a memorable tune for many, including the young at heart http://www.wsaw.com/seasonal/misc/40129602.html
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Key Sentence: “When the need for something outweighs our desire to maintain integrity, we are out of balance."
What would you do? You’re Kelly the green dragon. You’re big and brave. But you’re away from your home in warm Texas and you’re lonely and experiencing your first harsh winter with little food. You find a huge green acorn to match your color, but you know if you eat it quickly, you’ll soon be wanting for more. Mostly, you’re lonely. Enter a seemingly friendly and sweet talking Squirrel who shows up with what looks like a basket of smaller but sumptuous acorns. What would you do? Would you hold on to your wonderful green acorn or would you trade for what you think is a basket of plenty? You guessed it. Kelly swaps for the basket, only to find at bottom it’s full of branches and leaves and in fact contains little food. He’s been tricked. “Kelly's dragon roar could be heard throughout the forest. The ground shook as Kelly chased Squirrel's path, which abruptly stopped at a tree.”. But what did Kelly learn from the bad experience? How come he got conned? Think about it: “When the need for something outweighs our desire to maintain integrity, we are out of balance. “ And Kelly decided it was in fact time to return to the basics. “Defeated and hungry, Kelly picked up his tiny acorns and began the long trek home.” What’s your own takeaway? *All quotes from tori Hartman’s fable of Kelly the Green Dragon Chinese Dragons There are nine major types of Chinese dragons. These include the horned dragon,the winged dragon, the celestial dragon (which supports and protects the mansions of the gods), the spiritual dragon (which generates wind and rain for the benefit of mankind), the dragon of hidden treasures (which keeps guard over concealed wealth), the coiling dragon (which lives in water), and the yellow dragon (which once emerged from water and presented the legendary Emperor Fu Shi with the elements of writing). The last of the nine is the dragon king, which actually consists of four separate dragons, each of which rules over one of the four seas, those of the east, south,west, and north. Dragon Superstitions 1.Soldiers believed that a sword dipped in Dragons blood, made wounds that would never heal. 2.A bath in Dragons blood helped people see into the future. 3.A Dragons breath was poisonous just one puff could kill a soldier. 4.A Dragons tooth used to bring good luck. 5.People believed that Dragon fat made good eye ointment. 6.Some people even said that if Dragons teeth were sown in the ground they would grow into fighting soldiers. 7.Some Dragon slayers kept the heads and tails of Dragons they had killed to show how brave they had been. Green Thought of the Week
Is the Grass Always Greener? They say the grass is always greener… but think about it for a minute: in what ways is the grass already green? After all, they also say that appreciating the green we already have increases the chance for even more green (good stuff) in our lives. And, going a little deeper, What if the green we already have is quite enough? How this week have you appreciated the green and goodness in your life? |
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August 2015
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