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I want my Scottish equivalent

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No will to wake for this morn, to see another Black Rose born....

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Originally posted by G:


"piss ups" - winner.

I want my Scottish equivalent, preferably 6 months later, but otherwise not too different. Then, an Aussie Holiday - sounds like a good band...

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Originally posted by Niki2:
Okay, I'll chime in. We never celebrated it, tho' some do around here--mostly it's an excuse for radio "reporters" to crack wise at one another and sales, sales, sales. But I'll offer this:

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Nine Fun And Fascinating Facts About St. Patrick’s Day

Tis that time of year again. St. Patrick’s Day: the day when we are all Irish and green is seen everywhere. A day when Harp Ale and Guinness, along with some good Irish whiskey, are the drinks of choice. It’s almost spring and we are ready to see it in properly. But not everything you’ve been told about St. Patrick’s Day is true. Here are some facts about the man and the day.

1. St. Patrick was actually English.

He was born in Britain around 350 A.D., probably in Wales. Why Wales? With a given name like Maewyn, where else? When he was 16, Maewyn was taken captive by Irish raiders. He was taken to Ireland, where he worked as a slave, spending his days minding sheep. This task was a lonely one and Maewyn found himself turning to his faith for comfort. After six years of slavery, he escaped. He began to write about how God had spoken to him during those lonely years and had helped him escape by walking 200 miles to the Irish coast. One night, an angel appeared to him in a dream, telling him that he was meant to return to Ireland, this time as a missionary. The young man began his training and, after 15 years, was ready to return to Ireland. Since he knew the language and culture, Patrick (as he now called himself) was able to combine the old ways with his new teachings. He was very successful in converting the Irish without wiping out their roots (modern missionaries could use this as an example). Patrick ministered to the Irish for 30 years and died in County Down on March 17, 461 CE. That’s right, we party on the day he died, not his birthday. Consider it a very long-lasting wake.

2. Snakes in Ireland? Nope.

There are many legends concerning St. Patrick and his Irish ministry. One of these is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. But snakes were never actually found in Ireland because of where the island is located. The snakes are a metaphor for the pagan religion of ancient Ireland. Rather insulting on the surface of it, but Paganism never really left Ireland. As was often the case with the old religion of any area that is Christianized, much of it was simply fitted with a new veneer. St. Bridget, for example, is the goddess, Brighid. Christianize her name, give her a made-up hagiography and you have a Saint. Which segues into our next tidbit…

3. The shamrock and the Goddess

According to legend, St. Patrick used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the holy trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is another Christian story created to mask the fact that the Irish — like most pagans — were very familiar with the concept of a triune deity. The goddess Brighid was just such a deity. Brighid (known as Bride in Scotland and Brigantia in Britain) had three aspects: She was goddess of the forge, of healing and of the bardic arts. Her shrine near Kildare dated back thousands of years before a monastery was built on the site. Brighid became St. Bridget and her feast day is the same day as it always was: February 1st (by Pagan reckoning, the eve of the day starts the Sabbat, hence Imbolc is on the 2nd). By the way, the shamrock does grow in Ireland but it’s not the country’s official symbol. That would be the harp.

4. The scoop on Leprechauns.

The little man dressed in green with a pot of gold is a common sight on St. Patrick’s Day decorations. The lore of leprechauns goes back to 8th century Ireland, where they were water sprites known as luchorpán (small body). They may have been, in ancient times, actual beings similar to the Scottish Picts. Eventually, these sprites melded with a household fairy and became the leath bhrogan. This means “shoemaker,” and that was what the little man became: a simple cobbler. Say what you will about making shoes but it apparently paid very well in those days, as the little men had pots of gold. According to legend, if one can catch a leprechaun, he must give you his pot of gold. Good luck with that. The little men are tricksters and very difficult to catch. Maybe you could find a four-leafed clover to help you. Don’t count on it, though.

5. St. Patrick didn’t wear green.

Several paintings of St. Patrick show him in blue vestments. In ancient times, blue was commonly used to represent Ireland on flags and coats-of-arms . Green wasn’t associated with either the country or the saint until relatively recently. It ended up that way probably because of Ireland’s being known as the “Emerald Isle.”

6. No drinking on St. Paddy’s?!

St. Patrick’s feast day, now associated with free-flowing alcohol, was traditionally a dry celebration in its home country. Between 1903 and 1970, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday for Ireland. All pubs were closed for the day. This law was changed in 1970. St. Patrick’s Day came to Ireland in the form we know as a way to boost springtime tourism. It worked, too: an estimated 140,000 people are in Ireland for the celebrations this year.

7. St. Paddy’s didn’t originate in Ireland.

The holiday, as we know it, didn’t originate in Ireland. It sprang from Irish immigrants to America wanting to keep their homeland in their hearts and celebrate that shared identity with other Irish-Americans. It began with St. Patrick’s Day banquets at clubs in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in Boston in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society. New York joined the fun in 1762. But the longest-running, continual St. Patrick’s day parade is held in Montréal, Canada. That city has held their parade annually, without interruption, since 1824. Montréal even has a shamrock on its flag.

8. “Traditional Irish food” isn’t traditional.

Corned beef and cabbage is considered to be the thing to eat for St. Paddy’s Day. But it isn’t a traditional Irish dish. It is an adaptation of Irish-Americans to approximate their traditional meal. In Ireland, pork was ubiquitous and cheap. The favorite cut was similar to Canadian bacon, a pork loin that is seasoned and cured, served with potatoes. But pork was too expensive in their new home, so Irish immigrants had to adapt. In New York, they lived among other immigrants, including Jews. Tasting corned beef at Jewish delis, the Irish discovered a fitting substitute for their bacon. Cabbage, being cheaper than potatoes, was eaten along with the corned beef. And a new tradition was born. But if you want to be old country traditional, you can serve a hearty Irish Stew with Soda Bread. Maybe with a side of colcannon. The recipes are easy to find and not difficult to make.

9. The green river.

One of the most famous American traditions for St. Patrick’s Day takes place in Chicago. A few days before the holiday, the Chicago River is dyed a bright green. This tradition goes back to 1961, when parade organizer Stephen Baily, then head of Plumbers Local Union #110, discovered that a green dye was used to detect leaks in plumbing that escaped into the river. Baily thought that it would be impressive to dye the entire river green for St. Paddy’s. The dye itself appears orange until it hits the water, when it turns a bright Kelly green. The stunt went over well and has continued ever since.

Whether one is Irish or not, everyone enjoys celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The drinking *could* be part of that, but even teetotalers can drink virgin green “mocktails” and join in the fun. While wearing green is considered de rigueur for the day, we let pins or stickers and such get by. But even a pinch is all in fun (or should be). One wonders what St. Patrick would think of our modern celebrations. Considering that he spent most of his life in Ireland, he would probably recognize the good humor of the day. But he would definitely warn against overdoing the alcohol. As will I: please don’t drink and drive. http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/17/nine-st-patricks-day-facts/

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Can't speak to the veracity of all the above, just thought you might enjoy it.

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