Happy St. Patrick's Day (Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit) from the BPP University Library Team!
Today, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, we recommend The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), by Irish nineteenth-century author, Oscar Wilde. This book is available as a standard loan from BPP London Central (Holborn) Library as part of our Great Reads collections. Many of our social media followers will also recognise Wilde as one of the heroes chosen for our ‘Learn Proud Live Proud: LGBTQ+ Heroes’ exhibition.
Please see below for more information on the meaning and significance behind St. Patrick's Day:
1. What does ‘Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit’ mean?
A. ‘Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit’ (pronounced ‘law leh Paw-drig suna ghit’) means ‘Happy St. Patrick's Day' in Gaelic, one of the national languages of Ireland. As a name, ‘Pádraig’, the original Gaelic for ‘Patrick’, can be pronounced alternatively as ‘Paw-rick’, ‘Porrick’, or ‘Paw-drig’.
2. What is St. Patrick's Day?
A. St. Patrick's Day celebrates and commemorates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. One symbol associated with St. Patrick is the shamrock (three-leafed clover) found in rural Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick used the shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity for his followers. According to legend, St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland (although snakes are not native to Ireland). St. Patrick's Day is his feast day, and also marks the day of St. Patrick's death.
3. How is St. Patrick's Day celebrated?
A. There are numerous parades, parties, and celebrations across Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the U.S. to mark St. Patrick's Day. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was originally held in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737, in reflection of the large Irish community who had travelled to Boston and made their home there. Since 1962, the Chicago River has been coloured green in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Many people also wear green clothing or choose to enjoy traditional Irish food (e.g. soda bread, colcannon-a type of mashed potato mixed with cabbage-or coddle, a sausage or bacon stew.
4. Why is St. Patrick and St. Patrick's Day associated with green?
A. Up until the 18th century, St. Patrick was actually associated with a type of blue known as azure, and depicted wearing robes in the shade. However, from the 18th century onwards, he became primarily linked to green through the green colour of shamrocks and the green associated with Ireland's scenic landscape and its cultural status as the ‘Emerald Isle’.
We wish all BPP students and staff a happy and memorable St. Patrick's Day!