The hop clover is widely accepted as the original shamrock picked by St. Patrick. The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.
Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward and downward, holding iron bars for support.
Kissing the blarney stone. In America, Saint Patrick's Day is a basically a time to wear green and party. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest held in New York City. In Chicago they dye the Chicago river green in it's honor.