Honoring Ireland’s patron saint on St. Patrick’s Day
How a fifth-century Catholic missionary became a worldwide symbol for a good party
St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Irish culture around the world, featuring parades, Irish music and dance, whiskey, and beer. The holiday originally honored St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Catholicism to the island and taught the inhabitants about the Holy Trinity by using a three-leaf clover. Plus, we talk about how to use the phrasal verb "scale back."
Also in Today's Lesson
Transcript
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! How a fifth-century Catholic missionary became a worldwide symbol for a good party
Hi everyone, welcome to Plain English, the podcast that goes at the right speed for English learners. I’m Jeff and today is Monday, March 19, 2018. On today’s program, we’ll talk about the St. Patrick’s Day holiday and how a celebration of Irish culture became such a worldwide event. At the end of the program, I’ll show you how to use the phrasal verb “scale back.”
Just a quick reminder like always that the transcript of today’s program is available on the web site. Today is episode 30, so just go to PlainEnglish.com/30 to read along as you listen. And if you speak Spanish, Portuguese, French or Chinese, the transcripts have instant translations that you can use to understand the tough words and phrases. In addition to the transcripts, I also send out by e-mail a summary of each program along with links to the articles I use to prepare the show. If you want to get those e-mails, just go to PlainEnglish.com/mail
and enter your details.
OK—time to get started on today’s main topic.
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
Saturday was St. Patrick’s Day—a worldwide day to party and celebrate Irish heritage. How did the name of a Catholic missionary wind up being a symbol for drinking whiskey and beer, dancing, and dressing in green?
Let’s start with what St. Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, as it was originally known, is all about. Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary who lived in the fifth century AD and is credited with bringing Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, to Ireland in the year 432, or more than 1,500 years ago. According to his own writings, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave at age 16. He escaped and returned home to Britain, where he became a priest. Later in life, he returned to Ireland, bringing Catholicism with him, converting the Irish, and eventually rising to become a bishop.
The Feast of Saint Patrick was celebrated by the Irish in Europe as early as the Ninth or Tenth Century, but became a Church holiday in the 17th Century, celebrated every March 17, the date on which it is believed that St. Patrick died. It became an official public holiday in Ireland only in 1903.
Today, the holiday is observed in Ireland as both a celebration of Irish tradition and as a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics. The rest of the world knows it more as a celebration of Irish culture. The most visible way to celebrate, both inside and outside of Ireland, is through a parade. Parades usually include local politicians, police and firefighters, trade unions, school groups, bands, volunteers, civic groups—all types of organizations.
And of course, people wear green, the color that represents Catholics in Ireland. According to legend, Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people when he first arrived.
Official Ireland embraces the role St. Patrick’s Day plays in boosting its image around the world. Government officials pack their bags and travel as cultural ambassadors, visiting cities around the world, promoting Ireland and Irish culture. The Irish prime minister has an annual meeting with the president of the United States—a rare, regular appointment for a world leader.
And that points to such an interesting thing about St. Patrick’s Day: that it really is a reflection of how much the Irish people have influenced the world that a country of about five million people has inspired celebrations of its culture around the globe; landmarks from the Empire State Building to the Eiffel Tower to the Great Wall of China are all lit up in green to celebrate Ireland. There have even been St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in space. Ironically, it all began with a tragedy: the famines in Ireland in the 1800’s that caused over two million Irish people to flee to Britain and America. In all the places that Irish people wound up, they brought a celebration of their homeland with them every March 17.
Where I live in Chicago, we’re so Irish that we have three St. Patrick’s Day parades—the big one that goes through downtown, and smaller ones on South Side and the Northwest Side, the historically Irish parts of the city. Chicago also dyes the river green and our sports teams wear green jerseys for their St. Patrick’s Day games. New York and Boston also have big St. Paddy’s Day celebrations.
Unfortunately, for some, the holiday has become an excuse for partying and drinking in excess in public. In fact, some cities and towns are canceling or scaling back their parades due to the disorderly conduct that usually goes along with the celebrations. These towns want the parades to focus more on Irish culture, music and dance, and less on beer, whiskey and intoxication.
Before we get into the phrasal verb for today, I wanted to send a quick hi to Elisabet from Monterrey, Mexico. She said she listens to the program in the car on her way to work, which is a great way to use that time in the morning or the afternoon. Thanks for listening Elisabet and drive safely!
If you want to connect with the show, you can find me on Facebook or Twitter under the user name PlainEnglishPod, or you can send an e-mail directly. My address is jeff [at] plainenglish.com
¿Hablas español?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into Spanish. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
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Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
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你说中国话？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parlez-vous français?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Você fala português?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
日本語は話せますか？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parli italiano?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun?
The transcripts of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Turkish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Mówisz po polsku?
The transcript of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Polish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
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