In This Issue:
- St. Patrick's Day: Folklore & Fact
- The Basics of Flower Arranging
- Spring Time Flower Arrangement
- Visit My New Blog
- Tell Us What You Think
St. Patrick's Day: Folklore & Fact
St. Patrick, one of the most widely known and beloved Christian
saints, is honored each year on his feast day, March 17th.
What was once strictly an Irish religious celebration has become
a joyful (sometimes raucous) festive occasion, with people from
North America to Australia, from Russia to Japan reveling in
shamrocks, leprechauns, and the wearin’ o’ the green.
This popular tradition has its roots in more than 1500 years of
history, and the true story of St. Patrick has become
intertwined with folklore and speculation. So who was the real
St. Patrick? Why is his feast day so hugely popular, and where
do the leprechauns and shamrocks come in?
Folklore:
St. Patrick was an Irishman who brought Christianity to his
people.
Fact:
St. Patrick was born Maewyn Succat, the son of a Briton who
served as a low-level Roman functionary. Contrary to popular
belief, he was not born in Ireland, but in Roman Britain – in
Wales, Scotland, or possibly even
France, sometime around AD
416. According to his writings, he was abducted by Irish
bandits when he was about 16 years old. He was taken to
Ireland, where he was enslaved and put to work as a shepherd.
While he was watching over his master’s sheep on the hillsides
of Antrim, he prayed to his Christian God.
During this time, an angel appeared to him and prompted him to
escape his pagan captors. He returned to his homeland and
trained as a cleric, eventually being ordained a priest. At
this time, he became known by the Roman-Christian name of
Patricius. An angel again visited him, instructing him to
return to Ireland as a missionary. He did so, and according to
church documents, all of Ireland was converted to Christianity
within 200 years of his ministry.
It is believed that Patricius died on March 17th,
somewhere between AD 463 and AD 493. He was soon venerated by
the Irish and quickly took on a bit of a cult status; he was
widely regarded as a saint even before the Catholic Church
established the procedures associated with formal canonization.
The Church did uphold his sainthood later on, as it fostered a
sense of loyalty to the church in Ireland. St. Patrick’s feast
day is celebrated on March 17th, the supposed day of
his death.
Folklore:
St. Patrick was the first Christian priest to be sent to Ireland
as a missionary.
Fact:
Although St. Patrick is the most well-known early Irish
missionary, church records indicate that he was not the first to
be sent. Pope Celestine sent a number of priests before him,
most prominently the cleric Palladius. Some believe that many
of Palladius’ accomplishments have been mistakenly attributed to
St. Patrick.
Folklore:
St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock, symbol of
Ireland, to teach the Holy Trinity to Celtic pagans.
Fact:
While this certainly rings true, there is no real evidence that
he ever did so. The notion is probably based on the earlier
Celtic practice of using
the three-lobed shamrock as a metaphor
to teach the importance of trust, belief, and faith in oneself.
It is likely that at some point, Christian missionaries saw this
device as an opportunity to teach the Trinity of Father, Son and
Holy Spirit; however, St. Patrick made no mention of doing so
himself.
In any case, the shamrock is one of the most recognized symbols
of Ireland.
Folklore:
One day, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick stood alone
at the top of a hill. Raising his wooden staff, he called on
God and banished the snakes that were infesting all of Ireland.
Fact:
Although it plays well, there is no hint of truth to this
particular
legend. Thanks to an ice age, Ireland has been
snake-free for millennia. St. Patrick would never have
encountered even one snake on Irish soil, much less an
infestation. Instead, this myth is actually a metaphor; the
“snakes” represent pagan beliefs being driven out of the people
of Ireland.
Folklore:
The St. Patrick’s Day parade is a traditional Irish celebration
of their patron saint.
Fact:
The St. Patrick’s Day parade is an American, not an Irish
institution. The Irish typically celebrated their patron
saint’s feast day by attending mass and wearing green clothing
as a sign of national pride. The feast day falls during the
Christian season of Lent, when eating meat and consuming alcohol
was forbidden. This restriction was lifted for the feast of St.
Patrick, which resulted in some amount of pub-going and
revelry.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was staged in America in
1766, when military units in New York marched to the houses of
leading Irish citizens, one after the other. Today, the St.
Patrick’s Day parade in Manhattan is the longest-standing
civilian parade in the world; other noted parades take place
each year in Chicago, Savannah, Boston, and Philadelphia. The
St. Patrick’s Day parade tradition has only been adopted in
Ireland in recent times.
Folklore:
Leprechauns are shy, yet friendly little elves who scamper about
the Irish countryside hiding pots of gold; they are a
traditional symbol of Ireland. 
Fact:
According to Celtic lore, leprechauns are far from benign
creatures. They were thought to be cantankerous, drunken
menaces who were employed as cobblers by the fairies. The
rollicking, cheerful Irish-American version comes to us courtesy
of Walt Disney, who depicted the leprechaun in its now-familiar
form in the 1959 film, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.”
While the leprechaun has nothing to do with St. Patrick, this
amusing figure has come to emblemize all things Irish and is a
familiar icon of the holiday.
Whether the traditions are based in fact or fiction, who doesn’t
love the festive carryings-on of St. Patrick’s Day? Irish or
not, people enthusiastically deck themselves out in green, dance
to Irish jigs, and raise a pint (or two) of Harps to St. Paddy,
to Ireland, and to each other.
So on March 17th, put on the green, have a wee nip,
and most of all, Erin Go Bragh!
The Basics of Flower Arranging
Flower arranging is a popular art and pastime
that is practiced by millions. Pleasing to both the eye and
the soul, a well-arranged bouquet of flowers is the result of
hard work and attention to detail. However, rather than flower
arranging being a skill beyond the average hobbyist, with a
little perseverance and commitment, anyone can produce a
pleasing arrangement of flowers. This should come as a relief
to the many of you who feel it is a highly specialist art.
Follow the steps below, and pretty soon you will find yourself
making beautiful displays that will help you to develop a
personal style of your own.
First, don’t be limited
in your thinking when it comes to arranging flowers.
You don’t
always have to use a vase. You may have seen pictures of
flowers arranged in old boots or in a teapot, this is because
they are perfectly acceptable when presented in this way. Even
a bowl of water is a good receptacle for an arrangement.
However, a word of warning is required. If by chance you
decide to use an old boot, think carefully about it. The more
adventurous arrangements do require lots of colour and
thoughtful placement of flowers. Bear this in mind when
raiding the attic for ancient footwear.
Prepare your flowers by
carefully cutting them at least an inch from the bottom of the
stem and if you are placing them in a vase, remove any leaves
that will lie below the level of the water. The reason why you
should do this
is to help the flowers stay fresher for longer.
There is nothing as pleasing as a fresh looking display of
flowers. People admire flowers that look beautiful and
healthy, and you should strive for this style at all times. So
cut the flowers and remove the leaves, it will make your
presentation much more effective.
One style tip is to make
sure that bunches of small flowers are placed in shorter vases
(or other small receptacles). It is also recommended that
taller vases are used for the longer flowers. However, you can
always cut them to fit. Don’t be afraid to cut, by the way.
Flower arranging is just that, making an arrangement, and
cutting to improve the overall look is all par for the course.
When arranging them,
place larger, more attractive flowers in front so that they
dominate and create a focal point. This is important for the
overall look
of the arrangement. If you are going to get
anything right, make it this. With these taller flowers, try
to arrange them at angles. Flowers arranged in this way will
look more pleasing to the eye.
When you are using
lilies or other pollenous flowers you should always endeavour to
remove the stamens form their base with your fingers. This is
for two reasons. Firstly, the pollen will be removed and thus
stopped from discolouring the rest of the plant and anything
else it touches, including clothes. Secondly, it will stop the
flower from being pollinated, thus improving and extending its
life.
Follow these simple
guidelines and have fun with the whole experience. The best
flower arrangers are those that try to inject a little of their
personality into the process. If you like colour, use
colour. If you like tall flowers use tall flowers, and so
on. But bear these simple ideas in mind, and you can’t go
wrong.
Spring Flower
Arrangement
Get the instructions to make this
arrangement by
clicking here.
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Tell Us What you Think
We'd love to hear what you think of this issue!
Your feedback matters to us!
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