On Mar 4, 9:25=A0pm, djhe...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Dorothy J Heydt) wrote:
> In article <fqkv63$5m...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> Keith F. Lynch <k...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >Harry Mary Andruschak <adoptsoldc...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> And more and more schools will be celebrating Shamrock Day (17
> >> March) to avoid the use of that awful sectarian word "Saint", thus
> >> protecting the Children from whatever.
>
> Do you suppose it's less protecting people from the influence of
> saints (as if!) and more using a phrase that more customers will
> recognize? =A0
>
> In the universe of _Nightmare Before Christmas_, in which all the
> secular holidays (if I may so describe them) dwell together in a
> wood and the patron of Christmas is not Jesus but Santa Claus
> and the patron of Easter is again not Jesus but the Easter Bunny,
> the patron of March 17th is not St. Patric but the leprechaun.
>
>
>
> >They'd better change the name of numerous US cities while they're at
> >it, then. =A0Especially in California, unless "San," "Santo," or
"Santa"
> >is sufficient disguise for that word.
>
> >(Why is Kris Kringle "Santa Claus" rather than "Santo Claus"?
=A0Doesn't
> >the former imply that he's female?)
>
> Nope. =A0Wrong language. =A0Wrong subfamily in fact. =A0Comes from Dutch
> "Sinter Klaas," St. Nicholas.
>
>
As an American of Irish descent, and one who was raised R.C. but is no
longer of that faith, I don't mind calling St. Patrick's Day by that
name. Those who insist on its religious significance being foremost
might consider why it happens to fall so close to the spring
solstice. This wouldn't be another example of the church planting one
of its holidays on top of an earlier, "pagan" celebration, would it?
The secular side of St. Pat's in the U.S. has always been much about
celebrating the Americanness of Irish immigrants and their
descendants, of whatever religious background, and demonstrating
political clout.
Kevin
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