Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice.
Saint Patricks Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
So, why is St Patricks day celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland.
St Patricks Day Parades in New Jersey
February 23, 2008
Ringwood, NJ
1:00 pm, begins at The Ringwood Plaza, goes down Skyline Drive then up to 112 Erskine Road to the St. Catherine’s Parish Center
March 1, 2008
Hoboken, NJ
1:00 pm, begins at Washington and 14th Streets.
Mount Holly, NJ
1:00 pm, begins at the Fairgrounds Plaza down High Street to the township parking lot on Washington avenue.
Nutley, NJ
1:00 pm, begins at Holy Family Church, down Harrison Street to Franklin Avenue, ending at Chestnut Street.
March 2nd, 2008
Belmar - Lake Como, NJ
12:30 PM, begins at Belmar Marina, Park in Marina, Parade on Main St.
March 8, 2008
North Wildwood, NJ
Noon, begins at North Wildwood City Hall, Atlantic & 9th Avenues, and follows north on Atlantic Avenue.
South Amboy, NJ
2:00 pm
Trenton, NJ
1:00 pm, begins at
St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church on Olden Avenue. The Parade then marches down Olden Avenue turning left onto Hamilton Avenue. Then going down Hamilton Avenue, the main route of the Parade, participants pass the Reviewing Stand at Columbus Park. The Parade then turns left onto Chestnut Avenue and finally ends at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church.
March 9, 2008
Jersey City, NJ
12:30 pm, begins at Lincoln Park/Kennedy Blvd. north to Journal Square to the reviewing stand.
Somerville, NJ
1:30 pm, begins at at the corner of Main and Grove Streets in downtown Somerville and will proceed west to West End Avenue near Immaculate Conception Church.
West Orange, NJ
12:15 pm, begins at 66 Main Street by Town Hall and will end at Our Lady of Lourdes Church at the intersection of Eagle Rock Ave, Main St., and Harrison Ave. The Grand Stand will be in the CVS parking lot across from the Community House.
Woodbridge, NJ
1:30 pm, begins at Woodbridge High School and ends at Woodbridge Town Hall.
March 14, 2008
Newark, NJ
2:00 pm, begins at Saint Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, along Mulberry Street to the New Devils Arena.
March 15, 2008
Atlantic City, NJ
1:00 PM, begins on the Boardwalk at New Jersey Avenue. It will include pipe bands, string bands, marching bands and floats.
Morristown, NJ
Noon, begins at
at the corner of South Street and James Street. The parade route is South Street to Atno Avenue.
Seaside Heights, NJ
Noon, begins at the Boulevard starting at the Seaside Park border and ending at Sampson Avenue.
Sussex County, NJ
11:30 am, begins at downtown Newton, along Spring Street, ending at Memory Park.
Union County, NJ
1:00 pm, begins at Morris Avenue in the Township of Union and proceeds east along Morris Avenue to a turn at the Main Reviewing Stand
and ends at Roosevelt Avenue
March 16, 2008
Bergen County, NJ
2:00 pm, begins north of the National Guard Armory in Teaneck, New Jersey, and continues north up Washington Avenue in Bergenfield to St. John’s Church.
Kerany, NJ
begins at 3rd Street and Harrison Avenue in Harrison, travels through the Borough of East Newark and ends at Quincy Ave. in Kearny.
Keyport, NJ
1:00 PM, begins at Broad Street at the intersection of Monroe Street. The parade will then march down Broad Street to the intersection of West Front Street where the parade will continue west onto West Front Street to Firemen’s Parking Lot, next to the Ye Cottage Inn.
March 22, 2008
Ringwood, NJ
Passaic County’s only St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
1:00 pm. Parade Begins at The Ringwood Plaza, goes down Skyline Drive then up to 112 Erskine Road to the St. Catherine’s Parish Center
Highlands, NJ
2:00 pm, begins at Huddy Park, with hundreds scheduled to march along a one-mile stretch of Bay Avenue in the Highlands business district
Irish Legends
The Shamrock
Three is Ireland's magic number. Hence the Shamrock. Crone, Mother and Virgin. Love, Valour and Wit.. Faith, Hope and Charity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Numbers played an important role in Celtic symbolism. Three was the most sacred and magical number. Everything good in Ireland comes in threes. The rhythm of story telling in the Irish tradition is based on threefold repetition. This achieves both intensification and exaggeration. Even today in quality pub talk, a raconteur can rarely resist a third adjective, especially if it means stretching a point. "Three accomplishments well regarded in Ireland: a clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces."
The Leprechaun
The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man, about 2 feet tall, often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun, he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.
The Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy. Its walls are 18 feet thick to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops. Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to stretch to their back and bend backward, and downward, holding iron bars for support.
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