Irish Culture Week & St. Patrick’s Day
It’s the time of year to wear green! The 17th of March is known around the world and St. Patricks day or St Paddy’s day. It is known around the world as a day to have parades with an old man dressed in green leading the parades. I have even participated in a few of them around the world.
In Ireland it is classed as our day. A day for us to be proud of our ancestors and our little tiny island. We wear green and have parades and then we watch our national game of Gaelic football. It is a public holiday in Ireland. We also wear shamrocks as it represents our pride in our heritage. St. Patrick also used the leaves of the Shamrock to represent the Father, the son and the holy spirit. (Fun Fact: The Gaelic football team in Bratislava are called the Slovak Shamrocks!)
Irish music is played all over the country on St. Patricks day. Irish music is produced with instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass or aluminum) and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare rather than music).
At EISB we are have decorated the reception with Irish Gaelic football Jersey’s and with the Irish flag. As the only Irish member of staff within the school I am extremely proud to show the students a glimpse of my culture by teaching them the basic skills of Gaelic football. It is a very skilled game that I have been playing since I was 3 years old. In Ireland it is one of the first things we learn. How to play the game of Gaelic football. I have also seen that the students at EISB have already seemed to enjoy this sport.
To see my culture take over the school this week has made me very proud and I want to wish you all a very happy St Patricks day! Here is the same greeting in Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!
Check out the news report in the Slovak Spectator about Buildings in Slovakia turning Green for the St. Patricks day as a symbol of friendship between Ireland and Slovakia.
https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22618699/buildings-across-slovakia-will-turn-green.html
