Top o’ the morning to you, lads and lasses!
I cannot believe it’s already March! This year has flown by so far. As you surely know, March brings a very special holiday for many, whether they be Irish or just fans of festivities.
This year, Provident would like to help get our customers in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day by sharing a little history of the holiday and…dun dun dun…giving away some gold!
Patrick (no known last name has been recorded) was born to a British family, rich in theology. At age 16, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to work in Northern Ireland for six years as a shepherd. During his enslavement, he developed his spiritual life and converted to Christianity. After six years of arduous labor, Patrick heard a voice telling him he was to be delivered from captivity by a ship.
Patrick fled from his captors to find the ship, and he was indeed rescued and returned home. Not long after he returned home, Patrick had a vision in which he believed God told him he needed to return to the land of his captors and share the gospel with those he should abhor.
Obediently, Patrick did return to Northern Ireland and led thousands to Christ. According to historical documents, Patrick used a shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish people.
Surprisingly, Patrick was never formally canonized by the Catholic church, though, he has been widely regarded as a saint since his death on March 17, 460.
In the late 9th century, St. Patrick’s Day was developed as a way to pay homage to the man who conquered bitterness to spread the gospel. While traditions vary from country to country, St. Patrick’s Day is a well-loved holiday, universally.
In the United States, we employ many cultural stereotypes on St. Patrick’s Day; we use copious amounts of green decorations, shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots o’ gold to show off Irish pride.
While there might not be a connection between St. Patrick and leprechauns and pots of gold, learning their Irish history is interesting. According to Irish lore, the leprechauns found gold left by Viking plunderers when the (to them) giants abandoned their land. To protect their treasure, they would bury their pots of gold. If you could find the end of a rainbow, you would stumble upon the gold. While this is a fun story, science tells us rainbows are actually circles, so good luck searching!
You might not find a pot of gold, but Provident would like to give you the chance to win a gold bar! Simply comment below, and let me know 
how you plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. One winner will randomly be chosen on March 17, 2017 to receive a 1 Gram Gold Bar from PAMP Suisse! Comments must be placed by March 16 at 11:59 PM.
Here’s hoping you have the luck of the Irish and enjoy a little bit o’ gold!
Happy Stacking!
-J
I will be at home having some corned beef and cabbage, celebrating afterwards with something to drink and some good music to see me through the night and wearing my “Kiss Me I’m Irish” shirt 😉
I plan on attending the St.patty days parade in San Francisco, take my family out there with me and enjoy the festivities through out the whole city. To top it off the my whole family have awesome green outfits we were together as a family so they all come together when we are and our designs come out awesome. I would love to win. Might be hard to believe but never won a bingo game, gambling, sweepstakes or any other type of challenge so I have my fingers crossed and are thinking happy thoughts that hopefully I might win. Thanks
aaaahhh the luck o the irish to ya
Eating boiled dinner & drinking Guinness.
I am not Celebrating as I live alone on the Copper river in interior Alaska a Subsistence lifestyle off the land as much as I can. I would Celebrate for Sure if I would Win but unfortunately I know in advance that it is not meant to be. I really do appreciate the Opportunity though as it is always worth a shot i guess. Blessings unto All!
Drink whiskey
Get out the crock pot and begin warming a tablespoon of butter. Add 8 ounces of bacon in a frying pan and cook it so it crinkles just before it becomes crisp and take out the bacon. Add two pounds of stew beef (chuck or flank) cut into chunks and into the bacon fat in the frying pan. Cook until the beef is browned. Move bacon and beef to the slow cooker with 2 sliced red onions, some carrots and potatoes cut into chunks and about 12 ounces of Murphy’s Irish Stout or Guinness Stout plus 16 ounces of beef stock. After about six hours on low, add two tablespoons of butter or light olive oil, some bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Cook another hour and serve my favorite Irish Stew.
going to lovely new England for st. Patty’s just to literally drink until I can’t no more lol.. then it’s back to work the day later.Have to keep I money because I might not win and I’m in love with pamps.
I would love to win. Going to the parade on that day. Need some Irish luck.
I will spend the whole day with the ancestors of the strong, proud, and magnificently wretched Irish miners of the great state of Montana. Eirinn go brach!!!
I’ll get irish luck!
I’ll be harassing my Irish brother-in-law “Patrick”, reminding him of how we (the Norseman) used to pillage, plunder and steal the women of the emerald isle. Then we’ll probably drink a lot of beer…. at his bar, for free of course. Vikings Rule!
Actually, it’s my birthday. When they went to have me Baptized, the priest wanted to name me Patrick. My favorite birthday cake is an Italian Rum cake that has layers of vanilla and chocolate pudding-like cream. There is “green” on the cake though. On the outside are sliced almonds that are dipped in green food coloring. It’s getting harder and harder to find an Italian bakery that makes the cake.
I just hope to relax and have a quiet day. You can call me Padraig, Patricio or Patrice. They all mean Patrick. My birthstone is the aquamarine. The flower for the month is the daffodil or jonquil. I’m a Pisces. I believe Rob Lowe shares my birthdate. We almost look like twins. NOT
I’ll be working so I can buy more precious metals. 😉
The same as always !!!!!!! Family always comes first no matter what then dress in green !!!!!!! We enjoy the day with as much as possible eating and drinking everything with green dye so the term GREEN EGGS AND HAM is the first meal of the day !!!!!!!!!!! Y”ALL have an Awesome and safe ST. PATTY”S DAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Always looking for the pot of Gold!
I will spend it the same as every year with a six pack of Guiness or Harp if I can find it. There is always loud Dropkick Murphys and a few Irish car Bombs. My wife always makes us Corned beef and cabbage.
Celebrating my friends birthday .Drinking green beer and irish whiskey
I will drink green beer.
Eating dinner with my brother and Irish sister-in-law.
This year St. Patty’s Day is on Fri, so naturally we start w all we can eat fish and chips, then on to Happy Hour, Green Guinness, and then the same thing we did last year …. I seemed to have erased that memory, so I guess I’ll have to be original this year and make a new memory, maybe someone will record the moment so I won’t be so puzzled next year. Thank God for Calendars !
Earlier this year I made my first trip abroad to Ireland. I learned so much about it’s people and traditions, and cannot wait to celebrate the upcoming holiday with my family and friends. The kids and I will set traps for the leprechauns, and the older folk will drink plenty of Guinness and some of the Irish Whiskey that made the trip back.
“Erin go Bragh”
Aye laddy and lasses, I will spend time with my family and friends. Enjoying Gods creations, His truth and happiness.
Watch the parade down my block, to return home and sit at the dinner table with all to say a prayer and feast on the bountiful food He provided for us.
Remembering our lost brothers and sisters for they have given us the grace to carry on, to live on and continue the journey for the grace of GOD AMEN!
Working hard on a friday like a true blooded irishman, then finish the day drinking jameson and eating some Guinness soaked cabbage, cornbeef, and potatoes in my local watering hole.
I will be working most of the day. My wife is Irish so I will have corn beef and potatoes for dinner and a cold beer for a drink. In the meantime I will be listening to Irish music. Last year my daughter, then 5 year old, and I made a trap to catch a Leprechaun for his pot of gold. With a shiny gold color object set in place and she in bed, the next morning the Leprechaun took it. The Leprechaun was so fast that he trip the trap and it did not catch him. I will do something like that again if she still believe. My wife will also read Irish stories to her and I will listen.
I used to drink ’til the last one had me on the floor. Sober going on 5 years now and there are plenty of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s day and my Irish heritage.
I’ll spend the day wearing green.
drink a guiness
Enjoying another day of retirement with my feet up drinking a well deserved beer!
I will be on my favorite trout stream fly fishing