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| | The sixth annual Get Green festivities attracted more that one hundred people on Saturday morning. At the gathering, Fort Wayne Fire Department firefighters shot about 15 gallons of food grade green dye from four fire hoses into the St. Mary's River. The shooting of the water, the coloring of the river, was to begin the St. Patrick's celebration. The wearing of the green this year was to include the river coloration. However, the rivers running in Fort Wayne in the springtime are much faster than the one in Chicago, according to event organizer Eric Lahey. Thus, the rivers do not stay green for very long. Dive team members actually are in boats on the water and work to mix in the color after it is short from the firehoses. Sometimes the firefighters do a test run through before the actual event.
Many legends are related to the Saint Patrick name, for example, he with the help of three leafs (shamrock) explained the concept of Saint Triplet. "As three leafs may grow from single stem, God also may be single in three faces", - this sentence of Saint have already become Christianity rule. In Ireland, there is a tradition of fixing the leaf of shamrock to dress, which is the symbol of cross, color of Catholics, even the color of "emerald country". Even there is a church anthem, which says that Saint Patrick with the help of shamrock interrupted pagan rituals, which was performed in Tara Universe in royal capital of Ireland of that time.
There is a saying, some how druid Lokru started insulting the saint, and also entire Christianity in improper expressions. Naturally, devout Christian could not bear such profanity and asked the God requesting to punish pagan. Unexpectedly Lokru was lifted in air and then fell on ground, by hitting his head to rock.
Once during Lent, Saint Patrick observed fast for 40 days on peak of hill Croagh Patrick. God was scared, that he may die and keep his life purpose incomplete, that’s why God requested Patrick to stop the fast, but he agreed for this under three conditions: Ireland people should not live always under pressure, country may be submerged 7 years before the end of world, to avoid destruction and Patrick himself can judge all last day. After this, people started calling this hill as Croagh Patrick.
Every year dozens of thousands of pilgrims, most of them without shoes, climb to Saint hill "Croagh Patrick", with the height of 765 m above the sea level. Tradition says, that Saint Patrick on this hill only has performed one of his wonders – ruled all snakes of Ireland to assemble at his legs, and then expelled them.
According to legend, one huge and cunning snake did not wanted to leave Emerald Island. Saint was forced to use ruse. He built huge box and told to snake, that at any cost it cannot go in to that box. Stubborn reptile surrendered to the contradictory sense and started to bet with missionary. After entering the snake in to box, Saint quickly closed it and thrown in sea.
Possibly, tradition overstates anything. But there is a realistic fact – no snakes are there in Ireland (truth that, skeptics confirm that there was no such breed).
Due to mission of Saint, Ireland has become “Island of Saints”, land of monks and homeland of missionaries, which spread the Christianity in other countries. There are indications, that they have reached the present Russian land. Autobiography of Patrick “Confession”, one message and pray “Board of Saint Patrick” (“entreaty of deer”) are remained from scriptures of Saint Patrick. According to the legend, Saint read this prayer, when he went along with his followers besides ambush, which was built by pagan king with wishes to disturb Patrick mission. Instead of travelers, solders in ambush could see only group of deer passing away. As per devout belief, those who repeat the prayer will be protected from any evil.
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