The skies cleared just in time for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City today. Two million people were expected on the parade route stretching 35 blocks along 5th Avenue. I could stand for hours watching fire trucks go by, and who doesn’t love a marching band?
St. Patrick’s parades have been riding since Friday night down in Louisiana. They’re much like Mardi Gras parades, with riders throwing beads and things from floats and flatbed trucks, marching bands and dance clubs performing in between.
You won’t find the purple, green and gold of Mardi Gras, though–everything is shamrock green. People texted me so many photos I feel like I was there. My favorite came from the Irish Channel parade, with a redheaded rider about to catapult my friend a cabbage. Heads up!
We have St. Patrick’s guardian angel, called Victor, to thank for all this celebrating. Victor comforted Patrick when he was kidnapped to Ireland at age 16, and enslaved as a sheep and cattle herder.
Patrick loved to pray in the fields, and on one of those occasions met his lifelong companion for the first time. After six or seven years, Victor helped him escape and guided him back home to his family in Roman Britain.
It was Victor who, in a dream, inspired Patrick to return to Ireland to spread the Gospel message there. Because of him, Patrick became St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day, because today we’re all Irish.
