Erin Go Bra-less!

To the casual observer (for instance if one transported here from outer space and didn't know our Earth ways), one would think St. Patrick's Day was a celebration of shouting, green beer and throw up. But, as we Earthlings know, it is a celebration of the Irish and, more specifically, it is the feast day of St. Patrick (who unlike the mostly apocryphal stories of Saint Valentine, is still on the Church's official roster of saints, even though the Vatican never made him official as in the early days of the church canonization was a local affair).

He is credited with banishing snakes from Ireland, but modern biologists are pretty sure that post-Ice Age Erie has always been snake-free. He also has a bell, which is part of his shrine and his iconography (It's pretty!).

So, raise a whiskey to the good saint and remember to invoke him against snakes and witchcraft (unless, of course, you like snakes and witchcraft - in which case, Fie! on Saint Patrick!)

Saint Valentine's Day

St. Valentine's Day remains the most popularly celebrated saint's feast day, even though his day has been formally stricken from the Church's calendar. Nothing is really known about the historical Valentine - there were actually two of them, which have pretty much been conflated. Both were (supposedly) tortured and killed by Roman Emperors. But no one really has any idea.

Above, you can see his skull (maybe).

He can be invoked against plague, epilepsy and fainting.

Now, go out and buy those cheap, marked-up, long stem roses!

(photo via Mymuk's flickr stream)