Spirit of Life

The tradition of St. Patrick’s Day began hundreds of years ago when a boy in Roman England was captured and taken to Ireland as a captive where he found God.  It is said that St. Patrick could hear from the angels, and that he had raised people from the dead.  He was a very active missionary throughout Ireland for 30 years, and that is why he is called the patron saint of Ireland.  There have been many legends attached to this saint, and they have lasted throughout the centuries.  This holiday began as a Holy Day in the Catholic Church, but over the years this religious Catholic saint’s day has turned into a more secular celebration of the upcoming new spring.

Here are a few facts for St. Patrick’s Day:

Ok, so Father’s Day is approaching and you’d rather go to the dentist than buy another tie. Save the appointment for wisdom teeth trouble and make shopping a little easier. Here are 10 gift ideas for Father’s day that are sure to bring a SINCERE smile to his face.

10. Father of the Year Plaque – Show your appreciation for that special Father with a trophy or plaque that honors him as a Father.

9. Magazine Subscription- This is the gift that keeps on giving year round. Popular subscriptions are Sports Illustrated, Men’s Journal and Muscle & Fitness. There are others that I would rather not mention, but I am sure would get a positive reaction, if you know what I mean.

8. Sports Tickets- Because Father’s Day is during the summer, baseball would the sporting event to get tickets for. Other options are wrestling events or golf tournaments.

7. Golf Getaway- Speaking of golf, a golf getaway is a really nice gift and a great way for busy dad to unwind.

6. Gift Basket- You are probably thinking Gift Basket?! Yup I said gift basket. You can find any themed gift basket nowadays including golf, fishing, football, baseball and movie lovers.

Do you know how many turkeys are eaten during the holiday season? Below are a few interesting facts regarding the volume of turkeys eaten, cards sent, and much more.

Christmas Cards
Do you enjoy receiving cards in the mail? How many do you think you get each season? There are roughly 1.9 billion Christmas cards sent in the United States every year to friends, family members, and acquaintances, making Christmas the #1 card sending occurrence, followed by Valentine’s Day.

Packages
The number UPS is expected to deliver this year is over 340 million. The busiest day is expected to reach 20 million deliveries, which translates to 230 packages being delivered every second during that day.

Turkey
There are approximately 60 million turkeys consumed in the United States through the holiday season. Each American eats around 13.7 pounds of turkey every year! You think you are tired of turkey once Christmas is over? This may be why.

Christmas Trees
Next time you are lugging your tree home, remember this little fact. There are 20.8 million Christmas trees cut in the U.S. every year, with Oregon being the largest producer. Tree farmers retail roughly $506 million from the sale of trees. There is $69 million worth of artificial trees imported from China alone. Artificial Christmas trees have outsold real trees every year since 1991.