St. Patrick's Day at Selma

St. Patrick’s Day is the commemoration of the death of the patron saint of Ireland in the 5th Century. The lore tells of his kidnapping at the age of 16 from his home in Roman Britain, and his time as a slave in Ireland. He escaped but later returned to Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish people. The mythology surrounding his life became more and more ingrained in the Irish culture (though he was NOT Irish). Traditions that we observe today, such as wearing green and festive drinking and dancing, have little to do with the actual teachings or life of St. Patrick. As with most celebrations involving patron saints, the original commemoration was a somber religious observance.

Irish immigration into the U.S. brought us the St. Patrick’s Day celebration we’re most familiar with – a festival of pride in Irish ancestry and culture (and a reason to drink green beer). 

As an aside the most popular form of poetry in the English language is the Irish limerick, used by everyone from William Shakespeare to Lewis Carroll and even James Joyce. A poet you’ve never heard of, Edward Lear, (universally acknowledged as the father of the limerick), wrote a book in 1846 that has birthed a million rhymes. Easy to remember, often impossible to forget, this is the poetry of everyman (or woman), and a tribute to the lighthearted spirit of the Irish.

St. Patrick's Day at Selma

The bagpipes played as our guests entered Selma - enjoy!