| The Wearing of the Green: A History of St Patrick's Day Contributor(s): Cronin, Mike (Author), Adair, Daryl (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415359120 ISBN-13: 9780415359122 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $46.50 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2006 Annotation: Every year, all over the world, millions of Irish people, both native and by descent, together with their non-Irish friends, celebrate the life of a man who died over 1500 years ago. St Patrick's Day is a boisterous festival of parading and revelry, dancing and drinking, emblazoned with shamrocks and harps, and all in emerald green. The fascinating story of how the celebration of 17 March was transformed from a stuffy dinner for Ireland's elite to one of the world's most public festivals is captured for the first time in "The Wearing of the" "Green: A History of St Patrick's Day." Long celebrated with more fanfare in New York than in Dublin, the holiday has been criticized for its loss of religious meaning, ever-increasing commercialism and embarrassing displays of drunkenness. More recently, it has become a flashpoint between political divides within the Irish community. At the same time, however, it has served to unite Irish emigrants worldwide, whether they be in America, Australia or Canada. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Holidays (non Religious) - History | Europe - Ireland - History | Social History |
| Dewey: 394.262 |
| LCCN: 2005034860 |
| Physical Information: 1.08" H x 6.7" W x 9.06" (1.25 lbs) 366 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Ireland - Ethnic Orientation - Irish - Holiday - St. Patrick's Day |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The full history of St. Patrick's day is captured here for the first time in The Wearing of the Green. Illustrated with photos, the book spans the medieval origins, steeped in folklore and myth, through its turbulent and troubled times when it acted as fuel for fierce political argument, and tells the fascinating story of how the celebration of 17th March was transformed from a stuffy dinner for Ireland's elite to one of the world's most public festivals. Looking at more general Irish traditions and Irish communities throughout the world, Mike Cronin and Daryl Adair follow the history of this widely celebrated event, examining how the day has been exploited both politically and commercially, and they explore the shared heritage of the Irish through the development of this unique patriotic holiday. Highly informative for students of history, cultural studies and sociology, and an absolute delight for anyone interested in the fascinating and unique culture of Ireland. |