On St. Patrick’s Day, we think shamrocks, bagpipes, parades, Guinness and more. But have you ever thought about how this fun holiday came about?
So first off- Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick was actually born in Britain during the 5th century to a very wealthy family. When he was 16 he was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders that had invaded his family’s estate. In Ireland he spent 6 years in captivity working as a shepherd. In this lonely and fearsome time he gained a higher level of dependency upon his Catholic religion. Through his journals, St. Patrick believed that God has spoken to him in a dream telling him he had to leave Ireland. So, he did’ St. Patrick escaped back to Britain until his “second revelation,” where it is believed in another dream, an angel told Patrick to return back to Ireland as a missioner and priest of Catholicism. In his 15 year practice, St. Practice slowly and strategically converted the Irish to Christianity. For example “He applied Irish norms to Christian practice. For instance he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish” (history.com). St. Patrick died on March 17th in 460AD, but his legacy has lived on ever since.
St. Patrick was actually born in Britain during the 5th century to a very wealthy family. When he was 16 he was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders that had invaded his family’s estate. In Ireland he spent 6 years in captivity working as a shepherd. In this lonely and fearsome time he gained a higher level of dependency upon his Catholic religion. Through his journals, St. Patrick believed that God has spoken to him in a dream telling him he had to leave Ireland. So, he did’ St. Patrick escaped back to Britain until his “second revelation,” where it is believed in another dream, an angel told Patrick to return back to Ireland as a missioner and priest of Catholicism. In his 15 year practice, St. Practice slowly and strategically converted the Irish to Christianity. For example “He applied Irish norms to Christian practice. For instance he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish” (history.com). St. Patrick died on March 17th in 460AD, but his legacy has lived on ever since.
How did this turn into an International celebration?
I bet you thought the festivities in Ireland are the greatest of all, right? Wrong. The holiday rooted in Ireland, of course. On the day of St. Patrick’s death Irish and newly Catholic families, would waive the orders of lent, and feast on their traditional meal of corn beef and cabbage, along with drinks and dancing. The holiday grew popularity in America during the 1760’s with the first St. Patrick Day Parades and growing celebration. While the earliest parade occurred in Boston in 1761, the first recorded and greatest parade took place the following year in New York City by Irishmen in the English military. The annual tradition developed Irish patriotism and pride for the Irish immigrants during the next few decades. Since then, North America has generated the most immense St. Patrick’s Day holiday and celebration. The holiday has cultivated so much so, that people in America and around the world celebrate regardless of their heritage and/or religion. I guess we all got lucky.
I bet you thought the festivities in Ireland are the greatest of all, right? Wrong. The holiday rooted in Ireland, of course. On the day of St. Patrick’s death Irish and newly Catholic families, would waive the orders of lent, and feast on their traditional meal of corn beef and cabbage, along with drinks and dancing. The holiday grew popularity in America during the 1760’s with the first St. Patrick Day Parades and growing celebration. While the earliest parade occurred in Boston in 1761, the first recorded and greatest parade took place the following year in New York City by Irishmen in the English military. The annual tradition developed Irish patriotism and pride for the Irish immigrants during the next few decades. Since then, North America has generated the most immense St. Patrick’s Day holiday and celebration. The holiday has cultivated so much so, that people in America and around the world celebrate regardless of their heritage and/or religion. I guess we all got lucky.
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