March and St. Patrick's Day

St Patrick’s Day

I do not want to seize the day, I want to gently poke it with a stick and see if it moves 

17th March and it is St Patrick’s Day; I have been told not to wear my orange t-shirt today. Green is the colour to wear, as the mythical leprechauns can’t see green. I have never seen a leprechaun; maybe you need to go to Ireland to see leprechauns. Taking of Ireland, there are no snakes on Ireland, well, that’s according to the Irish and some leprechaun academics. Saint Patrick supposedly drove all the snakes off the island, although it is likely snakes never lived on the island.

Saint Patrick: According to legend, he was a 5th-century figure who brought Christianity to Ireland and drove snakes from the island.

The history of St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick himself was born in a village in Roman Britain in the fifth century. He was reportedly kidnapped by Irish pirates as a teenager and enslaved in Ireland, where he took care of animals and learned the Irish language.

After escaping and training as a priest, he returned to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. He used a three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans.

Irish Joke

I am confused, how can a cemetery raise its funeral prices and blame it on the cost of living?

Wearing Orange on St. Patrick’s Day - You should not!

You shouldn't wear orange on St. Patrick's Day if you want to avoid political/religious connotations, as orange traditionally represents Protestantism, while green symbolises Irish Catholicism and nationalism; however, green (which leprechauns supposedly can't see) is the traditional colour to avoid getting pinched, so not wearing green also invites playful pinches, making orange the colour to avoid if you want to steer clear of cultural sensitivity, though green is the colour for festive tradition.  

What to eat on St. Patrick’s Day

Irish lamb. This authentic, traditional Irish stew will warm you up. Serve with coddle or colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made with mashed potato and cabbage or kale. Both dishes are mainly potatoes, but I prefer Coddle; it has bacon and sausages. All these dishes have potatoes in them, seems like an awful amount of potatoes, but then it is Irish. Drink? Irish Whiskey or Irish Stout seem to be the suggestion from the Irish Cultural Ministry, what about Guinness? 

That question Michael will have to answer one day.

Sadie asks ‘Where does poo come from?’ Michael will be a little uncomfortable but knowing Michael, will give her an honest explanation. 

Sadie will look a little perplexed and stare at him in stunned silence for a few seconds and then ask. ‘And Tigger?’

On the birth of a child

While we on the subject of Sadie, I did reflect on the significance of a child being born.

Sometimes we are made whole, simply because another heart has started beating. 

Our lives are richer and complete. 

Sometimes we heal because we realise we did not break alone. 

The darkness was never absolute. 

The rain was never all there was, the tears like mother‘s milk were only temporary. 

Where we were torn, we are mended and if there are scars, they will be beautiful. 

We know each other’s hope, forever fragile and forever valiant, we will outlive the stars.

The Spring Equinox

Once upon a time the season that is new today was old and closed and packed away. Advent had erupted Christmas darkness retreated in the face of light and the reel of the year kept turning and once again we gather as the sky grows, old leaves have tumbled, the fresh snow falls, pages turn and doors open, time and time is now.

When does astronomical spring begin?

Astronomical spring follows the date of the spring equinox which is determined by the Earth's tilt as it travels around the Sun.

In the northern hemisphere the spring equinox varies between 19 to 21 March each year.

In 2026, however, it begins on 20 March.

On the equinox, the Sun crosses the equator, making day and night nearly equal in length.

The word "equinox" comes from Latin, where equi means "equal" and nox means "night." Beyond the equinox, days will be longer than nights.

Clocks change 

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to British Summer Time (BST) in the early hours of the last Sunday in March, which this year is 29 March.

You may be familiar with the phrase, the clocks will 'spring forward' by an hour, meaning we 'lose' an hour from that day.

That is it for now.