National Farm Rescuer Day dedicates the third Thursday of March to those who support farmers in need.
When crisis strikes in the form of illness, injury or natural disaster, Farm Rescuers throughout the heartland get the jobs done. Whether hay needs to be baled or crops need to be harvested, these men and women plant the fields and feed the souls of the farm family when times take a turn for the worse.
What was once a community tradition is now a non-profit called Farm Rescue. Founded in 2005, Farm Rescue and its volunteers have assisted more than 400 farm and ranch families throughout the region. The day encourages you to join the community that lends a hand when crisis strikes.
Whether a Farm Rescuer volunteers their time, talents or financial resources, their commitment is valuable. Keeping a farm running is hard work. When the unexpected happens, many hands make the work manageable. There are several ways to get involved with Farm Rescue and make a difference on National Farm Rescuer Day.
HOW TO OBSERVE #FarmRescuerDay
Consider volunteering your skills and time. Support a volunteer by being a sponsor. Make an individual donation. Thank a Farm Rescuer and spread the word by using #BeAFarmRescuer and #FarmRescuerDay on social media.
NATIONAL FARM RESCUER DAY HISTORY
Farm Rescue founded National Farm Rescuer Day to recognize all the amazing men and women who help get the crops in the ground or to the market from all around the country. It’s also an opportunity to give thanks to the many individual donors, business sponsors and grantors who make the organization’s mission possible. Founded by Bill Gross in 2005, Farm Rescue has helped nearly 800 families across the region. In 2008, People Magazine named Farm Rescue’s Founder and President, Bill Gross, the original Farm Rescuer. Like Gross, many Rescuers have a deep appreciation for the land and the strong community spirit found in farming and ranching. But, Farm Rescuers come from all walks of life, from coast to coast and often generations removed from the family farm.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar® declared the day to be celebrated annually on the third Thursday of March.
St. Patrick’s Day kicks off a worldwide celebration also known as the Feast of St. Patrick. On March 17th, many will wear green in honor of the Irish and decorate with shamrocks. According to lore, the wearing of the green tradition dates back to a story written about St. Patrick in 1726. St. Patrick (c. AD 385–461) used the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity and worn green clothing. And while the story is unlikely to be true, many will revel in the Irish heritage and eat traditional Irish fare, too.
In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated since before the country was formed. At times, the holiday has been a bit more of a rowdy one, with green beer, parades, and talk of leprechauns. However, in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day takes on a more solemn mood. It wasn’t until events in the United States broadcast in Ireland that some of the Yankee ways spread across the pond. One Irish-American tradition not common to Ireland is corned beef and cabbage.
HOW TO OBSERVE #StPatricksDay
Remember to wear green. Read up about St. Patrick’s Day and cook up an Irish feast! Use #StPatricksDay to post on social media.
Check out this delicious Reuben Casserole from #holidayfoodies. You won’t regret it!
SAINT PATRICK’S DAY HISTORY
The Feast of St. Patrick started in the early 17th-century. The day marks the death of St. Patrick and was chosen as an official Christian feast day and is observed by the Catholic Church. The day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand.
☘️ Festival Folk was a six-part series featuring The Dubliners, with special guests Jim McCann and Paddy Reilly recorded in concert at the National Stadium in Dublin. ☘️
This episode of Festival Folk was broadcast on 21 October 1985 on Irish Television Channel RTÉ.
I’ll tell you a story of a row in the town, When the green flag went up and the Crown rag came down, ‘Twas the neatest and sweetest thing ever you saw, And they played the best games played in Erin Go Bragh.
One of our comrades was down at Ring’s end, For the honor of Ireland to hold and defend, He had no veteran soldiers but volunteers raw, Playing sweet Mauser music for Erin Go Bragh.
Now here’s to Pat Pearse and our comrades who died Tom Clark, MacDonagh, MacDiarmada, McBryde, And here’s to James Connolly who gave one hurrah, And placed the machine guns for Erin Go Bragh.
One brave English captain was ranting that day, Saying, “Give me one hour and I’ll blow you away,” But a big Mauser bullet got stuck in his craw, And he died of lead poisoning in Erin Go Bragh.
Old Ceannt and his comrades like lions at bay, From the South Dublin Union poured death and dismay, And what was their horror when the Englishmen saw All the dead khaki soldiers in Erin Go Bragh.
Now here’s to old Dublin, and here’s her renown, In the long generation her fame will go down, And our children will tell how their forefathers saw, The red blaze of freedom in Erin Go Braugh.
On March 17th National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day coincides with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States.
To “corn” something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing).
Corned beef is a salt-cured beef product. Traditional Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage recipes used salt pork or a bacon joint instead of corned beef. However, sometime in the mid-1800s when the Irish immigrated to America, they found Jewish corned beef very similar in texture to the bacon joint (pork). As a result, they used corned beef as a replacement for the bacon when preparing corned beef and cabbage meals. Soon after, Irish-Americans began having Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
Corned beef and cabbage remains a popular food in many areas of the United States.
In Ireland today, the serving of corned beef is geared toward tourist consumption. Most Irish in Ireland do not identify it as native cuisine.
In the United States, corned beef is often purchased ready to eat in delicatessens.
Smoking corned beef and adding spice mixes produces a smoked meat such as pastrami.
Corned beef can also be found sold in minced forms and cans.
HOW TO OBSERVE #CornedBeefAndCabbageDay
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with one of the traditional dishes in the United States. Many restaurants across the U.S. will be serving it but you can make Corned Beef and Cabbage yourself, too. We even have a recipe for you to try. If you go out to celebrate, be sure to give the restaurant a shout-out. They’ll be glad that you did.
Use #CornedBeefAndCabbageDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY HISTORY
While the original creator of this food holiday is lost to history, corned beef and cabbage has long been associated with the St. Pattrick’s Day celebration.
The green of the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and we hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are. It’s a day of celebration and fun, but it’s also a day to recognize and appreciate our identity and Irish history, not just in Ireland but alongside our friends within the Irish Diaspora and beyond.
Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. Originally from England, the story goes that as a teenager, St. Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of raiders. They transported him to Ireland and kept him captive until he eventually escaped and returned to England. During his time as a prisoner he turned to Christianity for solace, and it’s said that God came to him in the form of a dream and told him he would help convert the Irish people to Christianity.
St. Patrick returned to Ireland to do just that and traveled all over the country teaching people about the religion. It’s believed he used a three-leaved shamrock, which is now seen as the official symbol of St. Patrick’s Day, to explain the Holy Trinity, i.e., God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is also remembered for the famous legend that he banished all the snakes from Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Day officially became a national holiday in Ireland in 1903. The 17th of March was practiced as a Holy day and families would pin bunches of shamrock to their jackets and go to Mass. Years later, the day became more of a celebration. Parades would be held in Dublin and even in small towns across the country featuring performances and community clubs.
St. Patrick’s Day today
Over the years, St. Patrick’s Day has gained international recognition, and people from all over the world flock to Dublin for the spectacular festival normally held each year.
Karen Walshe is the artistic director for the St. Patrick’s Festival, and she spoke to IrishCentral about what goes on behind the scenes of one of the biggest days in the Irish calendar. “The Festival takes place one week each year centered around St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th of March when we host the internationally renowned parade,” she says. “From 12 p.m. the streets of Dublin are packed with over half a million revelers as we see marching bands from all over the world perform, and our world-famous pageant companies who respond to the Festival theme for that year. There are over 3,000 participants performing that day. Over the course of the Festival week, we celebrate Irishness past and present through a huge cultural program for all ages, abilities, and interests. It’s also the start of spring so everyone looks forward to welcoming brighter days ahead, especially this year.”
Due to current restrictions, the team behind the St. Patrick’s Day Festival had to get creative, and this year they created a TV channel called SPFTV. “It’s a six-day and night virtual tv channel featuring over 200 shows from day to night, all commissioned over the past few months,” says Karen. “The funding from the Irish Government through the Department of Arts & Culture is being funneled to artists, filmmakers, and live event crews as we bring work to the industry while creating stunning shows for the world to see from 12-17 March.”
How do the global Irish celebrate?
Each year countries all over the world pay tribute to St. Patrick’s Day and get behind the celebrations as part of a “Global Greening,” with landmarks and tourist sites going green for the day. From New York to Sydney, it’s incredible to see the passion others feel for their Irish roots. It’s also an important day for Irish politics, and each year the taoiseach (prime minister) travels to the White House in Washington for a diplomatic exchange, by gifting a bowl of shamrocks to the president of the United States, which first took place during the 1960s.
St. Patrick’s Day is also a time for the Irish Diaspora to connect with their roots and is especially poignant this year as many haven’t had the opportunity to return to Ireland due to the pandemic.
Jim McCann, founder, and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.com, Inc. explains what his St. Patrick’s Day in America looks like.
“My wife makes corned beef and cabbage and her own version of Irish soda bread which is moist, heavy, and delicious and comes out incredibly well,” he says. “It’s a family recipe and I have yet to see anyone else make it quite like this!”
Jim continues, “Near our home on Long Island, New York, there is typically a fantastic parade (pre-COVID) and it’s a great time to bring all six grandchildren together. It’s a great family day that is usually not celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day but happens a week before.”