St Patrick’s Day is next week but two great events will happen this week-end. On March 17th, do not forget to wear green or you might get pinched!
Here are the two must places to celebrate St Patrick’s in the Bay Area (and spot some Leprechauns).
Saturday March 13th, 11 am-5pm, parade at 11:30am
St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival, San Francisco
FREE. Live music, dancing, children’s rides, Irish cuisine and more
The parade starts at 11:30am at Second and Market streets and ends with a festival at Civic Center Plaza.
For more information, call 415-675-9885.
Saturday March 13th and Sunday March 14th. 10am-5pm
St Patrick’s Day Festival, Dublin
Dublin Civic Center, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin
Art and crafts booths, Irish dance, live music, children’s rides, international food court, and more.
Free parking on Sierra Court and Clark Avenue
A little bit of history: the symbols of Ireland
The Irish Flag:
The green represents the Catholic majority.The orange represents the Protestants. The white stripe in the middle tries to unite the two.
St Patrick: He is said to have been born Maewyn Succat. He was a Roman Britain-born Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba. He lived during the second half of the fifth century. When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the church, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church. By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland. (Wikipedia source)
The Shamrock: It is a three-leafed clover. The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland
The Leprechaun: In the Irish mythology, a leprechaun is a type of male fairy said to inhabit the island of Ireland. Leprechauns usually take the form of old men who enjoy partaking in mischief. Their trade is that of a cobbler or shoemaker. According to legend, if anyone keeps an eye fixed upon one, he cannot escape, but the moment the gaze is withdrawn, he vanishes. He is supposed to be 2 feet tall and owns a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If you meet one and can keep him in your sight, he is supposed to bring you to the pot of gold.
