I've been saving this story to share with ya'll that I found in my '09 Spring Celebrate magazine by Phyllis Hoffman. I showed ya'll several pages from it HERE .
But, First..allow me to show ya'll some cutie patooties that were decked out in green this past week for a field trip to the Battleship of Texas and San Jacinto Monument park.
They wore me out but Ya'll should have heard them belly-aching about how tired, sore and worn out they were after the 3 mile hiking we did during the trip to see everything. lol
There is more to St. Patrick's Day than just the color green.
You may have heard the legend of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, but this is widely believed to be false. So, who was the real St. Patrick, and what did he do for Ireland that was so special that he merits his own holiday? His major claim to fame is that he spread Christianity to Ireland. 
I love this vintage St. Patrick's day postcard it really "drives home" the idea of him bringing the good news to Ireland, does it not? Or, of taking a trip to Ireland for a Tour.
Back to the story..At the tender age of 16, the British born Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and taken back to their native country, where he spent 6 years in captivity. He escaped back to Britain, but shortly thereafter, he had a dream in which an Angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary.
(Can ya just hear him, "Ya want me to do WHAT??)
After 15 yrs of religious study, Patrick returned to Ireland as a Priest, where he ministered to the few existing Christians already in the country and converted thousands of pagans. On March 17 we celebrate the anniversary of St. Patrick's death in the 5th century, and for hundreds of years, the Irish have observed St. Patrick's Day as a religious holiday~A day of celebration that offered a momentary break in Lenten fasting. It wasn't until the mid~1900s that the Irish govt. began a campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as a way to increase tourism to Ireland.
May brooks and trees and singing hills
Join in the chorus too,
And every gentle wind that blows
end happiness to you.
~Irish Blessing
Well, for all I know...I may owe St. Patrick for converting my family to Christianity. This is my sweet and precious grandma, Julia Kelly Moyen...Irish Lassie much loved!
