AN IRISH QUIZ IN HONOR OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY

1. According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock, a 3-leaved plant:

a) to ward off evil spirits

b) as the new ground cover for St. Patrick's Cathedral

c) to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish

2. The color first associated with St. Patrick was:

a) blue

b) green

c) purple

3. For St. Patrick's day, which US city dyes its river green?

a) Indianapolis

b) Savannah

c) Chicago

4. We celebrate St. Patrick's day on March 17th because it is the day of St. Patrick's:

a) birth

b) death

c) conversion to Christianity

5. "Erin Go Brach" means:

a) Ireland Lives

b) Ireland My Home

c) Ireland Forever

6. Whoever kisses the blarney stone will be blessed with which gift:

a) the gift of gab

b) the gift of eternal life

c) the gift of wealth and power

7) Irish Soda Bread gets its name and distintive character from the use of:

a) sparkling soda

b) crushed soda crackers

c) baking soda

8. What was the Shamrock called by the Celts?

a) seagrass

b) tri-petal

c) seamroy

9. With his wooden staff, St. Patrick banished these from Ireland:

a) rats

b) snakes

c) vampire bats

ANSWERS:

1) - C- To explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish.

2) -A - The change to Ireland's association with green rather than blue probably began around the 1750's after St. Patrick used the Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish.

3) -C- Chicago dyes its river green. Indianpolis dyes its main canal green. Savannah dyes its downtown city fountains green.

4) -B- His death, around 460 AD

5) -C- Ireland Forever

6) -A- The gift of gab

7) -C- Baking soda - used instead of yeast

8) - C- Seamroy - a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.

9) -B- Snakes - never to be found in Ireland again