image of an irish hat

St. Patrick, The Ancient Exterminator

March 17, 2017

dreamstime_l_2087588On the occasion of St. Patrick’s Day, Noble Way would like to celebrate the Irish heritage that is strong here in Sacramento. While it is a fact that St. Patrick’s Day has become specifically about dressing in green and imbibing in frosty green beverages. Now, while there is plenty of that sort of celebration to partake in, much like Christmas is only partly about Santa Claus, St. Patrick’s Day is only partially about shamrocks and shenanigans.

The Legend

As far as legend is concerned, the pest control community, particularly Noble Way Pest Control, can relate to St. Patrick as it is said that he drove out all the snakes in Ireland. Is this true? Of course! There are truly no snakes in Ireland, at least native ones. The story goes, that a pious St. Patrick fasted for forty days on top of a mountain, which if you have ever tried a three-day juice cleanse, is pretty hardcore. The good saint staggered down the mountain and immediately was greeted by a growing number of snakes following him. He immediately became upset by the snakes’ representation of evil and started chasing them. The serpents became frightened and an epic chase ensued all the way to the sea, and the story goes, snakes were never seen in Ireland again. Why does this have anything to do with the way we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? If you really think about it, not much…

The Legend Lives

dreamstime_xxl_19070041After the extermination of snakes in Ireland, clearly St. Patrick was a popular guy. The day he died was said to be March 17th, and from that day forward the day was set aside for celebration. The key to St. Patrick and his legend is the fact that he was an early Catholic in Ireland, which was a predominantly pagan region at the time. The reason why we tend to hoist a cup of cheer on St. Patrick’s day is because the restrictions of Lent were lifted and the things people gave up for Lent were permitted. Additionally, we wear green because the color represents the Catholics in Ireland. If you know any of your history about Ireland, you know that there was a large division between the Protestants and the Catholics leading to green symbolism for Catholicism and Orange for Protestantism.

Traditionally, Americans have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day without the thought of the connection with pest control. Noble Way Pest control would like to remind you that, spring begins in a few days and after your St. Patrick’s festivities, it is a good idea to get a comprehensive home inspection. We will come in and look at potential entry points in your home for all sorts of rodents and pests. We will make sure that your home is secure from the rodent invasion that can occur in the spring. The little rodent babies, the hatching spider balls and an increase in termite activity can infiltrate your home, causing all sorts of issues. So honor the original Catholic, pest control technician by giving Nobile Way a call today!

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