Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, people from all over the world gather to celebrate the Irish holiday. But does anyone know who St. Patrick is? Or why we started celebrating him on March 17?
Taking a look back into the history books, we can learn about the origins of the holiday and why we continue to celebrate it.
Who is St. Patrick?
St. Patrick was a Roman Catholic man originally named Maewyn Succat, who was born in Britain in the fifth century.
When he was 16, Irish raiders took him from his father and took him to Ireland to put him into slavery. He stayed for six years as a herdsman before escaping back to Britain by dreaming of a ship he could sneak onto the next morning.
When he arrived back, he was welcomed, and the return solidified his faith as he became a priest. Soon after he arrived, a missionary from Rome came to him, bringing him a letter stating he should return to Ireland to teach and baptize others in the Catholic faith.
Following this letter, he travelled all over Ireland, baptizing individuals, converting druids, and establishing churches before retiring in Northern Ireland, where he wrote Confessio, his famous autobiography.
When Was the Holiday Created?
Surprisingly, the holiday wasn’t invented until 1631 when a church first established the feast and saint day for St. Patrick on March 17. He was already considered a national patron saint and a bit of an Irish legend for his influence in bringing Christianity to Ireland.
The day quickly became popular as it lands right in the middle of Lent and gave Christians a day off from fasting and abstinence to drink and party. It didn’t become a public holiday until 1904, but it has now spread to countries all over Europe and North America.
According to an article by Time, traditional details were added to the holiday over the years, like the shamrock symbol in the 1720s, the main colour green in 1798, and drinking lots of beer in the 1980s after heavy regulations for nearly a century stopped people from doing so publicly.
What Do We Do on St. Patrick’s Day?
There are many different traditions observed across the world, the most popular being wearing green and shamrocks and spending time with family and friends. There are parades in many cities with floats and marching bands, some of which expect large crowds, so they close off streets to protect pedestrians from cars.
Some typical Irish meals people eat are Irish stews, corned beef and cabbage, and Irish soda bread. It does involve a lot of drinking for adults, with some pubs and bars having green beers just for the day.
While the intention behind the holiday may have changed over the years, the tradition of spending time with your loved ones and having fun has never left. Grab your shamrocks and head out with your friends on March 17 to celebrate the Irish patron saint legend, St. Patrick!