Four leaf clovers and pots of gold! These well-known symbols of Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17th, are beginning to make their statement and will exist throughout all of March. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that celebrates Ireland’s patron Saint, St. Patrick, with parades, music and of course the color green. But who is St. Patrick?
Contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick was British, not Irish (some say he might have been Scottish). He was born to well off parents as his father was a Christian deacon. When Patrick was only 16 years old, his family estate was attacked by Irish raiders, and he and some of his family were taken captive. St. Patrick was kept for six years in Ireland, most likely in County Mayo, where he worked as a shepherd. During this time, St. Patrick started to become religious and began to find comfort in Christianity. He also started having dreams about wanting to convert Irish people to Christianity, specifically on one occasion, where he had a dream that the voice of God told him it was time to leave Ireland, which Patrick followed. After escaping to Great Britain, Patrick had another dream with an angel, instead telling him he must return to Ireland and become a missionary. When Patrick returned, he used many Irish traditions in his teachings to convert Irish people to Christianity. During his time as a priest, it was said St. Patrick converted over 100,000 Irish people. St. Patrick also built the first Irish church and showed builders how to make stone churches as well as arches.
Over a thousand years later, St. Patrick is still being celebrated for his accomplishments. So how did St. Patrick’s Day start, and how is it celebrated? Ireland celebrated his death anniversary with religious acts and feasts; however, when Irish immigrants came to the U.S., they started to memorialize St. Patrick with parades. Later, many more traditions and celebrations would start. For example, Chicago tradition of coloring its river green.
Many elements have been associated with this day: for example, shamrocks, gold pots, leprechauns, and the color green, but what do any of these things have to do with St. Patrick’s Day or St. Patrick himself? Leprechauns are known for being mischievous and originate from Celtic folktales. While these creatures have no exact link to St. Patrick himself, leprechauns were mythological creatures that were a part of Irish culture and therefore a part of St. Patrick’s Day. Leprechauns were known to make shoes and hide their gold coins at the end of a rainbow. If you caught one, you were granted three wishes. Additionally, the color green is also associated with these creatures. It was said to avoid getting pinched by a leprechaun, one must wear green. Moreover, the color would also bring good luck. Shamrocks are also an integral part of this whimsical day. During Patrick’s time as a Christian missionary, he used the shamrocks as a way to explain the Holy Trinity of Christianity.
Patrick was not the only saint in his family. His sister Darerca, who was also kidnapped during the raid, had 17 kids, most of whom later became saints and bishops. Darerca is now known as the “mother of saints” and is celebrated on March 22.
St. Patrick’s Day was originally associated with the color blue, but changed as a way to represent the color of shamrocks.
