This March will be a month filled with holidays (and Holy Days) this year, and many of them have significance in the Christian faith.
Many people remember St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. It is a day when we all seem to want to be Irish, wear green, drink beer, and eat corned beef and cabbage. The story behind St. Patrick’s Day is that Patrick was a devout Christian who believed that God’s voice spoke to him in his dreams. He was born in Britain, but he moved to Ireland as a missionary of the Christian faith and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He is also associated with having driven snakes out of Ireland.
However, when St. Patrick’s Day approaches, my husband likes to remind me to also celebrate St. Urho’s Day on March 16. He knows this celebration from having lived among Finnish immigrants in the U.P. As legend has it, St. Urho is credited with driving grasshoppers out of Finland. In honor of St. Urho, people celebrate by wearing purple, drinking wine, and reciting the story. This is Finland’s version of St. Patrick and is believed to actually be a made-up holiday for the Finnish people as they prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
My friend Pastor Cory also likes to remind me that March 17 is also St. Gertrude of Nivelles Day. Devoted to her faith, Gertrude started a female-only monastery in the 600s to tend to people in need. Because of the illnesses and plagues spread by rodent infestations, she was often called upon by townsfolk to ward off illness. To do so, she encouraged people to keep cats around and to treat them well so that they would help control the rodent population. Therefore, St. Gertrude is known as the patron saint of cats. (Cory is a huge fan of cats which is why she promotes this celebration.)
All of those are very fun days of celebration, but this March also brings us some very solemn Holy Days. Palm Sunday is the day when Jesus rode a colt into Jerusalem amid grand pomp and circumstance, but it was his entering Jerusalem for the final time. Maundy Thursday is the day when Jesus gathered with his followers in the upper room to celebrate the Passover feast; however, the night ended with Jesus arrested. Good Friday is the day when we remember Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. All of these are vital stories in the Christian faith, but they are not the most pleasant of stories. They are solemn, and they are real.
But, of course, in March this year we also will celebrate Easter, the highest Holy Day of the year. This is the day when we remember that Jesus overcame sin and death. Jesus rose from the grave and brought us new life. This is the day that anchors the Christian faith for all eternity. This is the day to rejoice for all the world to hear!
I hope you enjoy the month of March with its various holidays and celebrations!
Pastor Beth
920-562-2853
