St. Patrick's Day

Cast your mind on other days

That we in coming days

May still be the indomitable Irishry

~ W.B. Yeats

A few years ago I met an Irish man in Poland who asked if I was Irish-American. "Because," he said, "I have yet to meet an American who isn't." It's true that Americans with Irish blood are inordinately proud of it, and those without . . . sort of wish they were. Today St. Patrick's Day parades and festivals across the USA rival those in any other country, including Ireland!

I know that I was entranced by Ireland's history and culture from a very young age. When my fourth grade classmates listened to Mariah Carey, I was busy with the Chieftains. I found an excuse to write a paper on Ireland nearly every year throughout high school and college, whether it was on the famine, the Book of Kells, or Seamus Heaney's poetry. And then there was that time when I was twelve and tried to speak in an Irish brogue for about a week. (Hint: it's a great way to alienate family and friends!)

But St. Patrick's Day is more than just about Irish pride and downing as much Guinness as humanly possible; the fifth century in Ireland was witness to something rare in history: mass conversion without bloodshed. Patrick gathered his followers by incorporating their beliefs into his own. 

Religious intolerance seems to be at a peak lately all over the world, and I find hope in St. Patrick's work, that one religion can work with another without violence. So I ask readers to take a moment to wish that religious leaders globally spread messages of cooperation and peace. Now go get that Guinness. 

The World in a Hue: Blue

Morocco

Serbia

Finland

Chile

Italy

all images here

Prayers for Japan

Oh, the foot-drawn trail
Of the mountain-pheasant's tail
Drooped like down-curved branch!
Through this long, long-dragging night
Must I lie in bed alone?

~ Kakinomoto No Hitomaru

The natural, and now nuclear, disaster in Japan is tragic to follow. Devastation of this magnitude leaves us with questions: How will the survivors recover? How will Japan as a country recover?

Perhaps the best part of globalization is how quickly both knowledge and relief can travel. Clotilde over at Chocolate and Zucchini has some wonderful tips on how to help. Through aid and expressions of sympathy and compassion, it is vital to let the people affected by this tragedy know that they are not alone.

Sakura and Hanami: Festival of Spring

Nothing says spring quite like a blooming cherry tree. The delicate color, sweet scent, and over-all abundance of these flowers are beloved anywhere they bloom, but especially in Japan. Here their ephemeral beauty both embodies and symbolizes mono no aware, a term which refers to a wistful awareness of the transience of things. The cherry blossom (called sakura) is used as a motif in textiles and household goods, in folk and pop songs, and even in anime!

Image via here

Every year there is a natural watch and forecast of the cherry trees blooming. Then there are festivals called Hanami, where families and friends picnic under the trees. Apparently, the custom of Hanami dates back to the third century AD! I love this idea of looking forward to and appreciating such a short and seasonal beauty. 

Image via here

Luckily, there are cherry blossom festivals all across the U.S. as well. And even if there isn't, there is nothing stopping you from finding a blooming tree in a park to picnic under. To give your picnic Japanese flavor, bring miso soup in a thermos and these rice balls. Don't forget the sake!

Image via here