St Patrick’s day
We know we’re a little bit late, but we wanted to say Happy St Patrick’s day for Friday ? As it’s now become something celebrated all around the world, we thought we’d share some of the culture behind the celebration.
Who was St Patrick?
St Patrick was a 5th-century Christian missionary. He was born in Britain to wealthy parents and was taken prisoner at the age of 16 by Irish raiders. They took him to Ireland where he worked as a Sheppard (most likely in Country Mayo near Killala, although many people believe he lived in Mount Slemish in County Antrim). During his time in captivity, he turned to religion for solace and became a devout Christian.
It took St Patrick 6 years to escape captivity back to Britain. According to his writing, it was God’s voice that told him it was time to leave Ireland. Once back in Britain, an angel in a dream apparently told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. So that’s what he did as soon as he became ordained as a priest. He had two tasks – to convert non-Christians and to work with Christians already living in Ireland.
Did St Patrick really banish the snakes from Ireland? Why are there shamrocks everywhere?
Legend has it that St Patrick rid Ireland of snakes. We feel a bit mean for ruining it for you, but this most likely isn’t true ☹ Snake was the word used for pagans/non-Christians. So as he converted Ireland to Christianity, he “got rid of the snakes”. When it comes to the Shamrock, it’s said that St Patrick used it as a metaphor to represent the holy trinity.
How is St Patrick’s day celebrated?
To put it simply – it involves wearing lots of green and drinking a lot ? Cities and villages also hold big parades. St Patrick’s week is also the official week of the Irish language.