Happy St. Patrick’s Day

March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. The Feast of St. Patrick, is a religious and cultural holiday, celebrated on March 17, the traditional day that St. Patrick died.  St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, and in the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. People of Irish descent also celebrate this day in the UK, Canada, USA, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. 

The day commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.  It also celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.  Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, the wearing of the green, and shamrocks.

St. Patrick was born in Britain in the late 4th century and at the age of 16 was kidnapped by Irish raiders.  He spent six years in captivity in Ireland before managing to escape and return to his family.  After he became a Christian, he felt called to return to Ireland.  He spent many years travelling throughout the country and spreading the good news of the Christian faith. 

St. Patrick was never actually officially canonized as a saint even though he has been given the title in popular lore.  Many still recognize his contributions to the Catholic church and he remains a spiritual figure to this day.  St. Patrick is credited with using the shamrock, a three-leaf clover, to explain the Holy Trinity.    

One of the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood on an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland causing all serpents to slither away into the sea.  Research suggests snakes never occupied the Emerald Isle.  There are no signs of snakes in Ireland’s fossil record and water has surrounded the island since that last glacial period.  

One of the most important traditions of St. Patrick’s Day is the wearing of the green.  People wear green clothing, green hats, and green accessories.  In Ireland many buildings and landmarks are decorated with green lights and decorations.

Leprechauns are another reason you are supposed to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.  If you don’t you risk getting pinched!  This tradition is tied to folklore that says wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns and leprechauns like to pinch anyone they can see.

People in Ireland have celebrated St. Patrick since the 1600s, but the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America.  Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601 in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.  In 1737, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston and in New York City on March 17.  

In Canada, parades and festivals are held in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax.  St. Patrick’s Day is a day of celebration and tradition that is deeply rooted in Irish culture and heritage.  

Did you wear something green today?  

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