Celebrated on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day is the only national holiday
recognized outside its native land.
Why are rabbits’ feet considered lucky? In Western Europe, prior to
600 B.C., man believed that spirits inhabited the bodies of animals. Since the
rabbit itself was considered to be lucky because of its reproductive prowess,
it was assumed that any of its body parts would also be lucky. The foot was
small… dried quickly… and was easily carried.
In Britain, horseshoes were thought to guard against evil forces. It was
believed that evil spirits would quickly flee at the sight of cold iron.
The people of Cornwall, England once thought it unlucky to wash a baby's
head during the first twelve months of its life.
