The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is not about the Folklore, Myths and Tales we have been told over the years. The real reason is rather quite interesting.
St. Patrick was a 5th Century Romano-British Christian missionary and a bishop in Ireland. St. Patrick came from a wealthy family. His father was a deacon, and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian Church. At the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland, where he spent 6 years working as a shepherd. During this time of slavery, he found God. Records state, that God told him to flee to the coast where a ship would be waiting to take him home. After making his way home with his new revelation of finding God, Patrick then became a priest. He spent many years evangelizing the northern half of Ireland and converted thousands to the Christian faith. Records show that he died on March 17th, 461 (yes… the year 461) and was buried at Downpatrick, Ireland. Downpatrick is a small town located in Northern Ireland, 21 miles south of Belfast.
In the early 17th century, March 17th was officially made St. Patrick’s Day, which commemorates his life and the arrival of Christianity into Ireland. People all around the globe have celebrated his life on this day, with festivals, parades, and traditional Irish music sessions, which were called céilís. Formal gatherings such as banquets and dances were very common in that time.
Shamrocks with 3 leaves were used to explain the Holy Trinity. (The Holy Trinity= The Father, Son and Holy Spirit). During some celebrations, Shamrocks were used to put in the bottom of a cup. Then whiskey, beer or cider is poured over the shamrock. A toast is made to St Patrick, and once it is consumed, the shamrock would either be swallowed or taken out and tossed over one’s shoulder for good luck. As time has evolved, the social gatherings became more like parades or carnivals. Even the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking are lifted that day. (Lenten or Lent, = a solemn religious observance involving spiritual discipline).
Of course, the shamrock is green… But green is also associated with the rolling hills of Ireland and the green harp flag, which was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. As a tradition green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on St. Patrick’s Day since 1680.
America started celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th, 1737. The first celebration took place in Boston, when a group of elite Irish men came to celebrate this day over dinner. The tradition of parading began amongst the Irish Catholic members of the British Army in New York in 1766. To this day, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world. Some use this day to show respect for St. Patrick. For others, it is a time to eat, drink and be merry!
