Amidst the alcohol tinted green and shamrocks soaked with beer, there is actually a purpose to celebrating St. Patrick's day. As an official Catholic school survivor, every year around St. Patrick's day, I was bombarded with coloring sheets and cheesy cartoons explaining the real story behind the holiday.
It begins, unsurprisingly, with a man named Patrick. Originally born in England in the fourth century, St. Patrick lived with his father, a deacon, in Roman Britain until he was sixteen years old, when he was captured by pirates and brought to Ireland as a slave. During his enslavement, he converted to Christianity after having a dream in which God spoke to him. After six years, he managed to escape Ireland on a ship and sailed back to England. Once back in his homeland, he continued to study Christianity. Eventually he was ordained a priest and later a bishop. Years later, he returned to Ireland to spread his new religion on the pagan-dominated island.
There are many tales concerning St. Patrick's feats and miracles in Ireland. One of the most notable is his banishment of snakes from the island. Legend says that St. Patrick chased the snakes out of Ireland and into the ocean, drowning all of them. Today, of course, experts believe that snakes could never actually inhabit Ireland, the surrounding waters being far too cold to support them. Many believe that the snakes represent Druidic priests, many of whom had serpents emblazoned on their arms.
Another popular tale concerning St. Patrick is his use of the shamrock to illustrate Christian teachings. Because his mission was to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity, and these pagans had little knowledge of Christian teachings, he used the shamrock, a common plant in Ireland, as a simple learning tool. He used the three-leafed clover to describe the holy trinity, or the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Currently, the shamrock is a common symbol of St. Patrick's day and all of the festivities that come with it, but its origins, like the holiday's, are quite Christian.
Today, St. Patrick's day has become a source of Irish pride all over the world. People wear green, play Irish music, and wear t-shirts branded with trademark symbols of Ireland. The man behind the holiday has faded into the background, replaced by parades, parties, and a whole lot of green. As the patron saint of Ireland, I can't imagine that St. Patrick would mind Irish culture more or less usurping his holiday. And on that note, happy death day St. Patrick. We'll be sure to raise a glass of green-dyed beer in your honor.
