Saint Paddy’s Day or Saint Patty’s Day? It’s a question that will make many an Irishman squirm in his seat. Actually, it is more likely that, as many of the Irish I know will tell you, it’s a question that will make many an Irishman stand up and show you what a Paddy would say to that question!

And so, to save my Irish friends from trouble caused by the foolishness of those wanna-be-Irishmen and women, I have presented the difference between Paddy and Patty!

As a single mom of five boys who loves all things Irish (My 1st dance class ever was Irish step dancing at 43 years old!), I can also tell you there is no worse insult than to be mistaken for a Patty when you want so desperately to be a Paddy.

In my house, the most insultingly spoken phrases are often spoken with a laugh and include the following:

Pull up your skirt, Nancy!

Meaning, stop being such a whiny girl and quit complaining!

You scream like a girl!

This is usually yelled in the midst of “tickle torture.”

And, what in our house, is considered to be the insult of all insults:

You’re such a SHE!!!

This came from Kaleb’s terrible confusion over the use of he/she which his older brothers find hysterical. Kaleb still refuses to refer to me as she because now he thinks it is disrespectful to do so! Oh we have issues!

Now to all those radical feminists who faithfully read my blog (I’m guessing there aren’t many!) getting their panties (or their boxers) in a bundle, let me say, “Pull up your skirt Patty and take a joke!”

Or should I say, “Pull up your skirt Paddy?” Now I am confused!”

Rest assured I am raising my boys up to respect women, but we all need to lighten up a bit once in a while!

But not in the Paddy vs Patty discussion. That is serious stuff!

And so, as any mom of boys will tell you, there could be few insults worse to our Irish friends, and even to Saint Patrick himself, than to refer to Ireland’s favorite saint as Saint Patty and to associate him with drunken parades and goofy green hats!

The word “Patty” refers to Patricia, and as Paddy not Patty states, Patty is, “just not something you call a fella.”

And so, please, let me give you one last word of advice on the Paddy vs. Patty thing.

Be respectful and, if you must shorten the name of our beloved saint, use the proper shortening by wishing one another a Happy Saint Paddy’s Day!

And while we are at it, please be aware of some other worthy Irish Catholic points to note:

The Shamrock is not just any old three leafed clover. It is a symbol of the Holy Trinity was used by Saint Patrick to explain Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three-in-one. It is very important in the history of the conversion of the Irish to Catholic faith. Check it out if you have questions about the Trinity.

Saint Patrick did not, in fact drive the snakes out of Ireland; there were never any snakes in Ireland. What Saint Patrick did do however is even more amazing. Saint Patrick was from a wealthy family but was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. When he eventually gained his freedom, he used his life to teach others about the good of the Lord. Talk about using adversity for good! How many of us have faced less traumatic experiences and yet have used them as an excuse to question or turn away from the Lord? We could learn a lesson or two from Saint Paddy!

A car bomb is not a fun drink to order out at a bar. It’s something which occurs too often in Ireland and in other parts of the world where religious freedom is or has been at risk. Pray that this does not become popular in America as we see our religious freedoms increasingly limited at an incredible pace (See how Obamacare is forcing Catholic and Christian health care providers to provide abortion coverage. See how same sex marriage mandates force the closing of Boston based adoption centers. See how organizations, such as Hobby Lobby, are forced to provide medical coverage against their religious beliefs. Research and find many more frightening examples).

One thing is clear. To follow God, Saint Patrick needed to be a Paddy, not a Patty

Today, we must also be Paddies!

This world is  already full of way too many Patty’s! Which will you choose to be?

Patty or Paddy? The choice is yours!

So to all my Irish and my wanna-be-Irish friends from my little Paddies and me, we wish you all a

Very Happy Saint Paddy’s Day!

Thank you to Saint Patrick, a Paddy not Patty of a role model for my boys, and to my friend Ros, a Paddy of a man (and a sometimes role model for my boys! 😉 ). To find out more, click here.

For more information on Ireland’s myths and legends, please click here.

For a printable shamrock as Trinity activity for children, please click here.

God Bless…