St. Patrick’s traditions live on

One hundred years ago, the week before St. Patrick’s Day was not all that different from 2012.

The newspaper carried advertisements for green carnations for a dollar a dozen, the stationery store offered St. Patrick’s Day postcards and the society page offered a break from Lenten abstinence with Irish-themed parties.

Oklahoma’s March weather was as changeable as ever, starting out the week with rain, proceeding to fair and colder, then more rain and winding up with a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the high 60s and a light breeze.

Political rhetoric was at full pitch for 1912, as it was also a presidential election year.

The candidates fiercely campaigning were incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft; Theodore Roosevelt, leader of his own Bull Moose Party; Socialist Eugene V. Debs; and the final winner, Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

On Monday, the day after St. Patrick’s Day in 1912, The Oklahoman offered this description of the day:

“The weatherman appointed a beautiful spring setting for St. Patrick’s day and while there were no parades or formal meetings in Oklahoma to celebrate the occasion, there were thousands of pretty shamrock leaves worn by the Irish of Oklahoma City and those with the blood of the Emerald Isle in their veins.

Appropriate references were made to the day and its significance in song and sermon at the church services, while at the Catholic services the usual religious forms of worship appropriate to the event were rendered.

It was a still day, full of beauty and sunshine, the first distinctly spring day of the season and the out-of-door world was particularly inviting. In the afternoon there came upon the streets the biggest crowd since the Christmas holidays, a great portion of whom were ladies and the spring hats and dresses were very much in evidence.”

Oklahoma City will be having its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday at 1 p.m., or you can join the Bricktown Block Party for a breakfast of green eggs and ham and stay until midnight enjoying food, green beer and some great Irish entertainment.

Come and celebrate the Irish in you.

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