Daily Dose of Curiosity
When Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met at the home of Wilmer McLean near Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, to discuss terms for the surrender of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, Lee did not know exactly what to expect. A few hours before, he had told one of his officers that … Read more
‘Irish Americans’ eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day- as a memory of their forebears who left Ireland all those years ago. However, it’s a false memory. When the Irish emigrated to the States, particularly in the 19th century, more often than not the Irish and the Jewish communities congregated together in the … Read more
Saint Patrick was revered in Ireland for bringing Christianity to the island. Remembering the date of his death on March 17th has taken place for centuries. That date was recognized as one of 35 feast and fasting days in Ireland since the fifteenth century. Pope Urban VIII added Saint Patrick’s Day to the church calendar … Read more
St. Patrick’s Day began as a remembrance of an honored bishop and later saint. Events were religious in nature including prayers, masses, and pilgrimages to places representing important events in Patrick’s life. In the time it became more celebratory and included markets and fairs. The Irish diaspora remembered the day as they moved to other … Read more