A Chicago, le 17 mars, jour de la fête de la Saint-Patrick,  la rivière "Chicago" est traditionnellement teinte en vert.

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 Saint-Patrick

Fête Nationale Irlandaise ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    En fait, la Saint-Patrick est née sur le sol américain. Saint Patrick lui-même n'était pas irlandais mais écossais et à l'origine la couleur de ce jour n'est pas le vert émeraude mais ... le bleu !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Bref, avant d'avoir tout faux et de ne plus avoir les idées très claires, voici 5 idées reçues sur la Saint Patrick ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Saint-Patrick n'était pas Irlandais !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Saint Saint Patrick serait né en 393 à Kilpatrick, en Écosse. A l'âge de 16 ans, il fut capturé par des Irlandais et amené sur l'île où il fut réduit en esclavage. Après 6 ans où il pria intensément, il revint en Ecosse.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Dans un rêve, les Irlandais le supplièrent de revenir avec eux. Pendant plusieurs années, Patrick alla se former en Gaule. Quadragénaire, il revint en Irlande pour fonder des couvents et des monastères dans toute l'île.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 La couleur de Saint-Patrick est le Bleu ... 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Comme Comme l'explique le Time, plusieurs historiens s'accordent à dire que la couleur de Saint Patrick est le bleu et non le vert. Cette teinte de bleu peut toujours être vue sur d'anciens drapeaux irlandais et était utilisée sur les drapeaux de l'Armée Citoyenne Irlandaise ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Le vert de la Saint Patrick a fait son apparition en 1798 pendant la rébellion irlandaise quand le trèfle est devenu un symbole du nationalisme...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           La Saint-Patrick est une fête Américaine !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Chicago peint sa rivière en vert ... A la Saint-patrick !

Selon Timothy Meagher, un professeur de l'Université Catholique américaine d'origine irlandaise, ce sont les villes américaines qui comptaient une forte diaspora irlandaise, qui au XVIIIème siècle, ont commencé à célébrer cette journée.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             "C'était une façon d'honorer un saint mais aussi d'affirmer leur identité ethnique et de créer des liens de solidarité".

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        "Saint Patrick n'a pas fait partir tous les serpents d'Irlande" ...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Non, contrairement à la légende, Saint Patrick n'a pas fait partir tous les serpents d'Irlande.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Comme en Nouvelle-Zélande, en Islande, au Gröenland et en Antarctique, on ne trouve pas de serpents en Irlande, comme l'explique le National Geographic.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Boire à la Saint-Patrick ? Non ce n'est pas vraiment le moment !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

La Saint-Patrick tombe en pleine période de Carême pendant laquelle les abus en tout genre sont particulièrement mal vus, dans la religion catholique. Jusqu'en 1961, une loi imposait aux pubs d'Irlande de fermer ce soir-là ...

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                                                                                                                                                 Voeux de la Saint Patrick : 
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Puissiez-vous avoir :
Une maison contre le vent
Un toit contre la pluie
L'amour d'une famille unie.
                                                                                                                                                                                 Puissiez-vous toujours être entourés :
De gens joyeux et d'éclats de rire
De tous ceux que vous aimez
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Puissiez-vous avoir :
Tout ce que votre coeur désire.