Saint Patrick's Day
The St. Patrick 's Day (Irish Lá Fhéile Pádraig ) is the commemoration of the dead on March 17th Irish Bishop Patrick, who is regarded as the first Christian missionary in Ireland. Patrick is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and is regarded as the patron saint of Ireland.
Remembrance
The memorial of St. Patrick on March 17, is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Ireland. Because the St. Patrick 's Day always falls in Lent, the Irish a fast break is allowed on this day.
March 17 is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the British overseas territory of Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland. The St. Patrick 's Day is celebrated worldwide by Irish, Irish emigrants and increasingly by non- Irish. In Dublin and most other Irish towns make great parades and a variety of noisy activities the St. Patrick 's Day to a colorful festival. The largest parades in Dublin, Munich, New York, Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, Manchester and Savannah. Also in the British capital London, there are an annual parade and festival.
On March 17, Green is the predominant color of the celebrating Irish all over the world; in some cities ( such as Chicago ) are even dyed green rivers on St. Patrick 's Day. To this end, uranine was used until 2003. Because of the likely damage caused by oil-based Uranin today vegetable dyes are used. Even beer (but not the Irish Guinness ) is sometimes dyed green on this day. For 2008, the liturgical Memorial of the Roman Catholic Church on Saturday, March 15 has been brought forward, as it would otherwise have fallen into the Holy Week, in which no party or other memory can be committed. This phenomenon occurs only very rarely, most recently in 1940 and the next time in the year 2160th
Germany
In Munich found each year since 1996 a parade for St. Patrick 's Day instead, participants not only Irish, Scottish and English, but also some German groups. It developed into the largest continental European parade and attracted about 2007 26000-30000 participants and spectators.
The Munich parade does not always directly on St. Patrick 's Day take place, but to a nearby Sunday. After about two kilometers long parade of Münchner Freiheit Odeon place there follows a stage program consisting among other things of the traditional Blessing of the Shamrock and performances of Irish bands and dance groups. Patron of the event 's Mayor Christian Ude and also the ambassador and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ireland are taking part.
In Göttingen Patrick's church service in English is celebrated with subsequent procession through the city every year since 2001 in the Catholic St. Michael's Church of the Jesuits. In Nuremberg offers the Open Church of St. Clare / City Catholic pastoral care since 2005 at the St. Patrick 's Day a church service in three languages ( Irish, English and German ), which is held by a Jesuit priest from Dublin. It is Irish folk music played and there will be a parade through Nuremberg.
Since 2006 in Lower Franconia, after several private communities festivals, annually an official St. Patrick's Day Parade in Waigolshausen place since 2008, with musical accompaniment by the Musikverein Waigolshausen. In addition to the organizers of the Clan MCel among others, members of the clan MacScott from Forchheim, representatives of the German -Irish Society of Würzburg take eV, the Association of Friends of North Lanarkshire / Motherwell and increasingly Scottish Clans and guests from Franconia part. Before the parade beginning there will be a prayer in honor of St. Patrick in the Waigolshäuser St. James Church. Among other things, the shamrock is blessed. Refers the parade, among other things St. Patrick's compatriots St. Kilian, Kolonat and Totnan, the Irish francs saints rest their heads in Würzburg.
Smaller parades are also held in Karlsruhe, Germany and since 2007 in Schacht-Audorf in Schleswig -Holstein since 2005. Since 2011, the St. Patrick's Festival Berlin is celebrated with a parade through Berlin- Kreuzberg and Irish films.