Why green on St. Patrick's Day?

It all goes back to St. Patrick, a British youth held captive in Ireland, who escaped captivity and later returned as a bishop to Ireland to convert the Irish to Catholicism.

The color green is a represantation of catholicism and celebrates St. Patrick and his missionary work in Ireland.

St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity in his missionary work with the Irish, another tie in to the wearin' of the green on St. Patrick's Day.

Why pinch a person who is not wearing green?

This pinching practice started in the 1700's in Boston.  The only way not to be pinched was to know that  leprechauns cannot see the color green. 

Wearing  green meant they could not see and pinch you.  Being pinched on St. Patrick's day was meant to serve as a warning and reminder about leprechauns. 



tags: leprechauns, St. Patrick, St. Patrick's Day

Video:  The History of St. Patrick's Day


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Video:  Irish Songs for St. Patrick's Day


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by Maureen Staiano

Getting back on track after the holidays is easy for some people. It seems as though they never break stride at holiday time. It is barely a blip on the screen of their lives.
For others though getting back in the swing of things after the holidays is a bit of a challenge and can leave you feeling let down and out of sorts.

All the stress, hustle and bustle seem to come crashing to a halt the day after Christmas and we often feel as though we are in a holding pattern until New Years Eve.
Routines have been broken. Eating habits have been tossed right out the window and even if the scale has been a friend it seems to have been quickly become a foe as we dread seeing what the excess in calories has cost us in weight gain.

New Year’s resolutions may be sitting there staring back from the paper daring us to fail one more time.
So how do we get ourselves back in the swing again? How do we shake off the after holiday blues and look forward to the coming weeks? Oh and yes how do we get back on track with our eating?

  1. Don’t feel the same pressure to make the holiday disappear as you did getting all the decorations up and the place decked out in the first place. Tackle most of the mess such as the presents and all the paper and garbage first. This will help you to regain a little order out of the chaos. After that, take your time deconstructing the holiday decorations. Enjoy the beauty you have created just a little longer. If you have truly been running like crazy this holiday season, taking a moment to quietly appreciate what you have created is important.

  2. Take an evening to either sit and write your thank you notes or to just phone a few
of the friends you may not have had time to speak to during the crazy holiday season. The pressure to reach out and touch everyone during the holidays is immense and can leave us feeling as though we haven’t met our responsibilities if anyone is left out. The pleasure of a relaxed conversation or expressing sincere appreciation in a note almost instantly lifts your spirits.

  3. Don’t even bother with the scale. If you have clothes that you like and they fit you
well, take a few key pieces to mix and match as your eating habits get back on track over the next few weeks. After the over indulgence of the holiday season gradually get yourself back into healthy eating. Pare down your shopping list eliminating all the snacks and junk foods that may have been the holiday staples.
Increase the fruits and vegetables as well as adding in large green salads. It may take a few days or even a week to retrain your taste buds. They have grown accustomed to more fat and sugar so give them a little time to readjust.

  4. If your workout has gone by the wayside do not try to get up to full speed in a
week’s time. Start back slowly and work up to where you were before the holiday interruption. If you have been regular in your workouts before the holiday you will be back in the swing of it in no time and without suffering with soreness or fatigue.

  5. Do something nice for yourself. Something special. It may be a quiet dinner with your significant other or it may be massage or facial. It may be a weekend away or an afternoon out in nature. Whatever feeds your soul and makes you feel uplifted is what you are looking for here. It doesn’t have to cost a penny or if you have the money to spend go ahead enjoy. What you want is to leave the season finally feeling relaxed and looking forward to what the New Year will bring.

Maureen Staiano is a Life Coach specializing in working with women and the unique challenges, opportunities and transitions we face in our lives. Please visit me: http://www.achieveyourdreamcoaching.com and also visit my blog http://www.mymidlifesafari.blogspot.com/

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