ST.

PATRICKS DAY
Saint Patricks Day is a religious holiday celebrated every year on March 17
th,
to
commemorate the death of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. This is a
national party in the Republic of Ireland, but it is also celebrated in many
countries around the world. In fact, Saint Patrick is the most celebrated saint in
the whole world.
Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century. His father,
Calpornius, was a deacon, and his grandfather, Potitus, a priest in the Christian
church. It is said, that he was kidnapped by Irish when he was sixteen and
taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. He spent around six years working as a
shepherd when he found God. God told Patrick to run away to the coast, where
a ship would be waiting for him. When Patrick came back home, he became in
a Priest.
The tradition says that Patrick returned to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.
He spent many years evangelizing Irish and he converted thousands into
Christianity. Patrick died on March 17
th
and he was buried at Downpatrick. Over
time, many legends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland's foremost
saint. In the early seventeenth century, Saint Patricks Day was made an official
Christian feast day. In 1903, this celebration was made a public feast in Ireland.
Every March 17th, a lot of people, even non-Irish, Christians and non-
Christians, dress themselves of green and the streets are decorated with three-
leaved shamrocks. This is because the legend says that Saint Patrick used the
three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans. There is a
famous parade in Dublin; this is part of a big fest that lasts five days. Also, some
bars sell green beer and a lot of rivers are painted of green too!


Personal Information:

Name: Melisa Cartes Millar
Subject: Intermediate Language I
Teachers name: Lorena Lama
Date: March 25
th
, 2014