On March 17th, millions of people will be sporting their green attire while watching the festive parade and ringing in the cheer. Some may even be drinking some green beer. Saint Patrick day is a day of celebration, but what most people do not know is the true history behind this beloved day. In reality, today’s celebration has nothing to do with the actual historical roots. Saint Patrick was not even Irish!
For starters, he was born in Britain around 390 A.D. He was from a high class Christian family. When Patrick was younger, he had no interest in his faith, Christianity. As the years progressed, he continued to live his carefree life, until he was sixteen. At that point, he was kidnapped, and sent overseas to tend to sheep as a slave in Ireland. It was a horrible experience for him, but while he was there, he began to seek Christianity as a source of salvation. One day, Patrick heard a voice, which told him to go back to Britain, where he met up with his family. He was able to escape on a pirate ship. Later on, he heard the familiar voice again. This time, the voice told him to go back to Ireland. In Ireland, he got ordained as a priest by a bishop. Slowly, he began to pass down the words of Christianity. Unfortunately, the people he sought out did not want to hear what he had to preach. Patrick was actually beaten up, and he was harassed by many of the Irish. Sadly, he died on March 17, 461.
He seemed to be forgotten, until word of his existence was passed down from generation to generation. Patrick was seen as a hero to the future Irish population. He was considered to be a worthy savior; he was no longer just seen as a slave. Centuries later, Patrick was honored as being the great patron of Ireland. According to the Saint Patrick’s Day lore, Patrick used the three leaf shamrock, as a source of the Christian faith. The three leaves represented the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today, everyone wears a shamrock to show their Irish spirit. There may be a lot of differences between today’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebration and the actual historical roots. Despite these differences, the festive green colors still thrive on.
Sources: http://news.nationalgeographic…