Monthly Archives: March 2009

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The Humanities Center wishes you a very happy St. Patrick’s day!

Did you know that…

  • Saint Patrick’s Day is the day of his Saint Patrick’s feast and also marks the anniversary of his death?
  • Saint Patrick was actually born in Britain, then taken as prisoner to Ireland by a group of Irish raiders who had attacked his parents estate?
  • In Ireland, Saint Patrick became a shepherd and may or may not have warded off snakes?
  • It was reportedly God himself who told Saint Patrick to return to Britain, and then later changed his mind by telling Saint Patrick to return to Ireland as a Christian mission?
  • Saint Patrick became a beloved missionary as he incorporated Irish traditions into Christian ceremony, making the religion more familiar to the Irish?
  • It is argued that St. Patrick’s day is a larger celebration here in the U.S. than it is in Ireland thanks to the pride of early Irish immigrants in America?

This information and more is available on the History Channel’s web site.

Landmark Center is hosting the Irish Music and Dance association todayand of course, many other social and cultural activities will be taking place in MSP to celebrate today and tonight, check out Vita.MN for some ideas!

A Minnesota Humanist Remembered

Last Friday, it was announced that Minnesota author, poet, and teacher, Bill Holm, passed away.

Both daily papers here in the Twin Cities wrote lovely articles on Holm’s life and his work, doing their best to pay tribute to a man described as “the polar bear of American literature”  and “the sage of Minnesota”.

(Click here to read Laurie Hertzel’s article in the Star Tribune)
(Click here to read Mary Divine’s article in the Pioneer Press)

As an organization devoted to the humanities in Minnesota, we are of course saddened by this loss. It’s people like Bill Holm (whose work is so vast and deep and enjoyed by so many) who help to perpetuate Minnesota’s rich and intelligent culture.

We welcome your thoughts and memories of Bill Holm in the comments below.