A Celtic Celebration

Bridget Bator ’14

Staff Writer

“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back…” Whether you are Irish or not, you have probably heard these words that appear at the beginning of an Old Irish Blessing. Every March 17^th, people from all over the world gather to celebrate their Irish heritage on St. Patrick’s Day. As most know, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Born in 387 C.E. in Scotland, St. Patrick was captured during a raid when he was about fourteen and taken to Ireland to be a slave. He became a shepherd and turned to God during his captivity. At the age of twenty, St. Patrick escaped when God appeared to him in a dream telling him to leave Ireland by going to the coast. Once there, St. Patrick found sailors that returned him to his family in Britain. Years later, the patron saint of Ireland had a dream in which the people of the land of his captivity called him back. After this dream, he began to study for the priesthood. St. Patrick was later ordained a bishop and sent to evangelize in Ireland in 433. He converted thousands of people in Ireland and helped build churches throughout the nation. Entire kingdoms converted to Christianity because of St. Patrick’s preaching. After 40 years of delivering God’s message, living in solidarity with the poor, and working miracles in Ireland, St. Patrick died on March 17^th, 461.

Today, St. Patrick’s feast day is celebrated with many symbols including the popular shamrock, which he used to help explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans of Ireland. Since many citizens of Ireland are Catholic, St. Patrick’s feast day is often commemorated with parades and traditional Irish food such as corned beef. Emerald green, a national color of Ireland, is also displayed and worn. Here in the Tri-City area, March 17^th is celebrated with a Leprechaun Race in Bay City which occurs on Saturday March 15^th this year. An Irish Double, 5K Walk, 5K, 8K, and the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and float competition will be held on Sunday March 16^th in Bay City. On Saturday March 15^th there will be a huge celebration at the Funky Skunk in Frankenmuth that will have prize drawings, live Irish music, and much more. In Saginaw, many adults often pay a visit to our very own authentic Irish pub, J.B. Meinberg/Woody O’Briens on Hamilton Street where a bagpiper is always present! Even if you don’t have some Irish ancestry, join in the fun and celebrate the feast day of St. Patrick!

An Old Irish Blessing (Celtic Prayer)

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.