“Every St. Patrick's Day every Irishman goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to.” - Shane Leslie The most well known tradition on St. Patrick’s Day is probably the practice of wearing green, the color of shamrocks and the national color of the Emerald Isle. Most of us can also remember the school-yard extension of this tradition—those not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day are likely to receive a painful pinch! Many cities, both in Ireland and overseas, have St. Patrick Day’s parades. New York actually has the honor of having held the first St. Patrick’s Day parade. In 1762 Irish regiments, serving in the British army, paraded through the streets of New York. The idea quickly caught on as a show of solidarity among people of the Irish-American community, who often encountered anti-Irish prejudice. In 1948 President Truman was the first American President to attend the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade. While New Yorkers can claim the first St. Patrick’s Day parade, Bostonians can claim to be the first to celebrate March 17th in America. Boston celebrated St. Patrick’s Day for the first time in 1737. Some Irish traditions receive an extra shot in the arm on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s always lucky to find a four-leafed clover, but it’s even luckier to find one on March 17th. Choosing St. Patrick’s Day to kiss the famous Blarney Stone is also considered extra lucky. One or two traditions have very little to do with St. Patrick. Leprechauns have become one of the symbols of St. Patrick’s Day, but their inclusion has more to do with greeting card designers than any involvement with Ireland’s patron saint. As for green beer, well, do we really need an excuse for something that much fun? http://www.saint-patricks-day-traditions.com/html/traditions.html Sally Rolls Pavia Sun City, AZ [email protected] List Owner: [email protected] "Today is tomorrow's history." All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus 2002 .