Many people actually make a pilgrimage to the Blarney stone, which is located at a 15^th-century castle in the village of Blarney in central Ireland. Supposedly, if you kiss this stone you'll be blessed with invincible eloquence.

St. Patrick's Day is a many-sided holiday-a religious, political and joyous affair. In Ireland, Patrick is honored as the man who brought Christianity there and ended the rule of the Druids. He was not born in Ireland but possibly in Scotland. The year of his birth is also uncertain, but it is thought he was born around a.d. 387. He died on March 17, perhaps in 461. What we know of his life is taken from his work, The Confession, a public letter written to a British chief who raided Ireland. At age 16 he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland where he was made a slave of the Chieftain of Ulster. At 22 he escaped to France where he became a monk. In a.d. 423, he returned to Ireland after seeing a vision that his mission in life was to take Christianity to Ireland. During his life he started more than 300 Christian churches and schools, and at least one college. He baptized more than 120,000 Irish citizens.

According to legend, Patrick drove all poisonous snakes from Ireland by beating his drum. There are no snakes in Ireland today, but the reference is probably to the pagans he drove away. He also popularized the shamrock by using the three leaves of this clover to symbolize the Holy Trinity, which is part of the Christian belief. By the 18th century, it had become the patriotic symbol in Ireland and was later adopted as the theme of defiance against English rule. "The rose will fade, but the shamrock will shine forever" are the words of an old revolutionary song.

Although Dublin has in recent years had a parade on St. Patrick's Day, most of Ireland regards March 17 as a saint's day and any celebrations that take place are rather solemn. An Irish folk singer named Gerry Farrelly said the day is almost like a Sunday and the taverns are not even open-rather difficult for those Irish who like their "pints." Drinking a lot of beer has become associated with this holiday in many places now.

Most of the "real" celebrating of this holiday occurs in the United States and other countries where Irish immigrants settled. St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in the United States in Boston in 1837 and the idea spread to other cities, such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and St Louis, as a way to remember Ireland. In those places, huge parades are staged, usually on the closest Saturday or Sunday to March 17.

This year's San Francisco parade will be held on Sunday March 17 at 9 a.m. and promises to be a diverse affair as it will also include Chinese Lion Dragons, Gay Pride and African-American marching bands.

I will march in this year's St. Louis parade, so I will get a new perspective as a participant rather than as a spectator.

Parades are usually raucous affairs, complete with green and white balloons and costumes, floats decorated with green-dyed carnations and many shamrock motifs. Everyone can watch but many also manage to join in, as the spirit of the parade is very communal. How about stopping for a snack of corned beef, cabbage, mashed potatoes, soda bread, and green beer? There is also singing and dancing with traditional musical instruments such as the penny whistle or harp.

No celebration would be complete without the leprechaun. This naughty little creature, rather like a goblin who likes to hide things, is another symbol of this day.

Green is the traditional color of St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of Ireland, the Emerald Isle. People often wear green clothes, or at least something green, and make green food and beverages with vegetables or green food coloring. In Chicago, they even put green food dye in the Chicago River to make it turn green! Many breweries make green beer too. My first experience with green beer was a little disconcerting, but actually the taste doesn't change.

If you're in Liverpool, the United Kingdom, or in Melbourne, Australia, you'll likely discover many parades and other festivities. In London, the Irish Guards have a private ceremony where they are given a shamrock in Wellington Barracks, followed by a special service in the Guards Chapel. Irish tradition lives on!

Let's Sing
This is a popular Irish lullaby called TOO-RA-LOO-RA-LOO-RAL

Over in Killarney, many years ago,
My mother sang a song to me,
In tones so sweet and low.

Just a simple little ditty
In her dear old Irish way,
And I'd give the world if I could hear
Her sing this song today.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush, now, don't you cry.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That's an Irish lullaby.

Web sites:
www.paddyfest.ie (in Dublin)
www.st-patricks-day.com
www.stpatricksday.org (south San Francisco Bay area)