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The History of Saint Patrick
The History of Saint Patrick
With Saint Patricks Day right around the corner, its time to check out some of the fascinating lore and tradition
that surrounds this holiday celebrated on March 17th every year. Not only is Saint Patricks Day the national
holiday of Ireland, but it is also widely celebrated in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New
Zealand. Yet many people dont know the truth about Saint Patrick, including the fact that he wasnt even born in
Ireland!
Who Was Saint Patrick?
St. Patrick was born in Britain around 400 A.D. (or Scotland; accounts vary) to wealthy parents who were
Christians. A group of Irish raiders attacked his fathers estate and kidnapped Patrick when he was 16. They took
him to Ireland, which at that time was a land of paganism and druidism. Patrick spent six years as a slave, working
as a shepherd, very much isolated from other people. During this time he not only became fluid in Gaelic, the Irish
language, but he turned to religion for solace and became a devout Christian.
According to Patricks writings, after six years he heard a voice telling him it was time to escape, so he traveled
south for 200 miles until he reached the Irish coast where he boarded a ship to Britain. He studied under St.
Germain, bishop of Auxerre in France, to help combat paganism, and was ordained a priest and given the name
Patercius or Patritius from the Latin, meaning father of his people. St. Patrick traveled back to Ireland to teach
Christianity to the Irish. St. Patrick died on March 17, 460 A.D.
What do Shamrocks have to do with St. Patricks Day?
In order to make the people understand the doctrine of the Trinitythat there are three beings who make up one
divine God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy SpiritSt. Patrick drew an analogy by picking a shamrock and
showing that its three leaves were on only one stem. The shamrock was already a sacred plant in ancient Ireland
because it symbolized the rebirth of Spring. Shamrocks, of course, are green, hence the stipulation that one must
wear green on St. Patricks Day!
How We Celebrate St. Patricks Day?
St. Patricks Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, has been celebrated by the Irish since the
17th century. Interestingly, Irish soldiers serving in the English military held the first St. Patricks Day parade on
March 17, 1762 in New York. In 1848, a group of New York Irish aid societies united their parades to form one
New York City St. Patricks Day Parade, the worlds oldest civilian parade and the largest in the county, with more
than 150,000 participants featuring Irish music, dance, and more. Other cities including San Francisco, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Vancouver, and Sydney, also hold annual St. Patricks Day parades.
Irish music is also very much a part of St. Patricks Day and Irish culture, as the Celts had an oral culture, where
religion and history were passed from one generation to another in the form of songs and stories.