The History of St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick  St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. Despite his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery.  It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D.  When he was only sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They took him to Ireland where he spent the next six years being held captive.

St. Patrick  Patrick managed to escape after being held captive for over six years. Patrick explained in his writings that he believed the voice of God came to him in a dream and told him that it was time for him to leave  After leaving Ireland, Patrick embarked on a journey of religious training that lasted over fifteen years in order to become a priest. He was soon sent back to Ireland to minister to the Christians living there and convert those who were not already  Patrick chose to incorporate traditional Irish rituals into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs due to the fact that he was familiar with Irish language and culture. The Irish used fire as a symbol to honor their gods therefore Patrick used bonfires to celebrate Easter. Patrick is also credited for the symbol of the Celtic cross due to the fact that he incorporated a sun, which was a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross.

History of the Holiday  St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17. This is the date of his death as well as his religious feast day. In Ireland, this day considered a religious holiday.  St. Patrick's Day, falls during the Christian season of Lent, and most Irish families traditionally attend church service in the morning and spend the afternoon celebrating. Traditionally the Irish forgo their Lent sacrifices and celebrate by eating, drinking, and dancing. A common St. Patrick’s Day meal consists of cabbage.  Surprisingly, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not held in Ireland but in New York City. On march 17, 1762, Irish soldiers who were serving in the English military took to the streets marching and playing traditional Irish music.

History of the Holiday  Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Despite the fact that North America is home to the largest parades, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations all around the world far away from Ireland.  Today in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is traditionally been a religious occasion. Up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. However, beginning in 1995, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to promote tourism and to showcase Ireland to the people all over the world. In recent years, close to one million people took part in the St. Patrick's day Festival in Dublin, Ireland. It is a multi- day celebration that features parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and fireworks shows.

The Leprechaun  The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow.“  The belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure.  Originally, Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, which was a Catholic holy day. However, in 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.

The Shamrock  The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celtic people, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule. This story first appeared nearly a thousand years after St. Patrick had died.

GREEN! Enjoy your day and don’t forget to wear your GREEN!