St. Patrick's Day

I did not really know what to expect on St. Patrick’s Day. I knew it was a big holiday here, but I didn’t really understand why it is celebrated and to be honest, I don’t think most Irish people do either. The general consensus is that Ireland is celebrating St. Patrick. From there the facts and reasons sort of get muddled up. They know he “chased the snakes from Ireland,” but that isn’t even the reason he should be remembered. St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, chasing away paganism and he used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity. Most people just look forward to the copious amounts of alcohol and parties. – Side note. I wonder how much money people spend on this night alone. - Our way of participating in St. Patrick’s Day was walking through the parade with our big red double decker bus, a cross, and tracts. We passed out the tracts to people watching the parade and then parked the bus on the street later that night. The bus became a focal point for conversation and a beacon of hope as people moved from one pub to the next and passed by people who were completely sober on St. Patrick’s Day. For those who were really intoxicated, I am not sure how much of the conversations really stuck, but there are always people who remember and question. Personally, I am not good at speaking to people, but I can at least pray for their souls and for the seeds that were planted in their hearts to take root and grow.

Taste of Ireland: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in New York in 1762.