St. Patty's Day!
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Thursday, 04 March 2010 07:02
St. Patty’s Day!
Oh Saint Patrick’s Day– what a celebration it is! Everyone becomes Irish on March 17th and is entitled to wear green and dance a merry jig. It is also the only time it is acceptable for men to wear a skirt (kilts are so hot!) There is nothing like sipping a shamrock shake in celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day. Most of the typical traditions include eating corn beef and cabbage, wearing green, and enjoying a Saint Patty’s Day Parade. But, do you actually know who Saint Patrick is? Why is this holiday even celebrated? Was Saint Patrick even IRISH?!? Get on your green and hold onto your shamrocks, because this is Saint Patrick– uncovered.Saint Patrick is actually NOT from Ireland. He is from Wales. However, he was captured by Irish Raiders and taken back to Ireland to work as a slave. After six long years of slavery, Saint Patrick escaped Ireland to go back to Wales, only to return to Ireland a few years later as a missionary. Saint Patrick is now known as the Patron Saint of Ireland.
It is popular belief that Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. This myth is thought to be untrue because experts believe there were no snakes in Ireland during Patrick’s time. Patrick was also thought to have introduced the three-leaf clover as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Patrick used the three-leaf clover as a teaching mechanism. Each leaf represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and he used a clover when he would preach the Good Word to explain the Trinity. This belief has not been proven or dis-proven and there is evidence supporting both sides. Saint Patrick was considered one of the first ‘traveling missionaries.’ It was not popular to travel to another country in order to spread God’s Word. Patrick is credited as one of the first abroad missionaries and paved the way for this trend. Even though there is a lot of gray area when talking about the Saint in green– his legacy lives on!
