Do you have your green on today?! It’s St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ and the celebration of the Irish people, traditions and beloved Emerald Isle.
The Irish are well-known for their many poignant sayings, blessings and prayers.
“May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
Away the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand!
Billings goes all out on St. Patty’s Day ☘️
The downtown St. Patrick’s day celebration includes a St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Celtic Fair Street Party that happens on the Saturday nearest St. Patrick’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Celtic Fair presented by Downtown Billings Alliance & Hooligan’s Sports Bar is a favorite local tradition and has been for nearly 40 years.
The parade celebrates the community’s Irish American heritage and features over 40 festival floats, a Celtic Fair & Street Party with lots of tasty street food, Celtic music, cloggers and bag-pipers.
All of the Irish fun starts at 10am and runs until 3pm under the Skypoint in downtown Billings with the parade starting at 11am.
The Claddagh Irish Dance Academy takes the Celtic Fair Stage at noon followed by the “Paddy like a Rock Star with the Repeat Offenders” on the Street Party Stage at 1:30pm.
St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world’s most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession. In The Confession, he wrote:
“The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”
Patrick’s captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. He went on to preach in the Irish countryside and St. Patrick’s Day is honored in his memory.
And, today the cultural celebration includes leprechauns and pots of gold under the rainbow.
It’s also become tradition to enjoy some green beer or whiskey.
However you celebrate this wonderful day of green happiness and joy, always wish for the “Luck O’ the Irish!” Four leaf clovers in abundance to you!
