Because it’s St. Patrick’s Day

One day a year, St. Patrick’s Day, it seems we are all a little bit Irish. Normal everyday people will wear outfits that 364 days a year they wouldn’t be caught dead in. Green of course. They will eat and drink all kinds of naturally green or dyed green food and beverages. Some that they don’t even like. And of course they celebrate and parade like there is no tomorrow. St. Patrick’s started as a religious holiday and morphed into what it is today.

How many of these people even know who St Patrick was? It is commonly believed that Patrick was born in Roman England around the fourth century. When he was a teenager he was kidnapped by Irish raiders who kept him as a slave in Gaelic Ireland. He spent several years as a Shepard in a pagan land. It was here that he fine tuned his faith. Legend has it that God directed young Patrick to flee the pagan land where he was held captive.

He returned to England and became a Priest. Legend has it that Patrick returned to the pagan land that once held him and converted thousands to Christianity. March 17th is the day Patrick died.

Why the Shamrock? The obsession with green and shamrocks according to legend, grew out of the belief that Patrick used three leaved shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity.

Here is a slideshow of crazy things we eat, drink and wear today in honor of St. Patrick:

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Here are the photo credits and links to the originals:

http://blog.parkplaza.amcliving.com/go-green/great-places-near-santa-ana-to-take-the-kids-for-st-patricks-day/

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/potd-7-layer-green-st-patricks-day-cake.html

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/03/10/st-patricks-day-shamrock-cookies-2/

http://www.examiner.com/article/st-patricks-day-drinks-how-to-make-green-beer-st-pattys-party-ideas

http://www.partycity.com/content/st+patricks+day+drinks.do

http://trendphotos.org/2014/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-drink-up-at-irish-pubs-2014.html

http://lentseasonimages.com/20-st-patricks-day-recipes-that-are-easy-to-make-readers-digest-2014/

http://www.ramendays.com/is-st-patrick%E2%80%99s-day-green-dye-bad-for-your-health/

http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-website/daily-finds/food-st-patricks-day-00000000030853/