The Story Behind St. Patrick’s Day 

You may be surprised to learn that St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated events around the world. Yet interestingly, many of the celebrators know very little about the history of this popular day. Typically associated with parades, the color green, leprechauns and Guinness beer, the story behind the celebration runs deeper than a pot of gold or the bottom of a pint glass. While St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish history and heritage, for a lot of folks, it is another excuse to party. But the history of Saint Patrick and how the holiday has evolved over the years is an interesting story that is full of legends and lore.
 
Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle, lived during the fifth century. According to the History Channel, Patrick was born in Roman Britain and later kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of sixteen. He eventually escaped but returned to Ireland as a missionary and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death, which is believed to be on March 17, 461 A.D., the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in Irish culture.

Perhaps one of the most well-known stories of Saint Patrick, according to National Geographic, involves using the shamrock as an educational symbol to explain the Holy Trinity to nonbelievers as he converted the Irish to Christianity. The Celts held the number three in special regard and St Patrick cleverly tapped into this. Merging Celtic symbolism with Christian meaning, he explained that the three leaves of the shamrock represented the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
 
As famous as the story of the shamrocks, is the legend of Saint Patrick and the snakes. According to National Geographic, Saint Patrick traveled from Britain to Ireland to do missionary work. While he was there, he was attacked by a group of snakes. Serpents are a symbol of the devil in the Christian Bible, so Saint Patrick cleansed the Emerald Isle of “evil” by sending every legless reptile he could find into the ocean. While Ireland was not known for having snakes, Irish lore is steeped in symbolism, and in this case, the snakes likely represent paganism, which he was credited with driving from the country. But, with a fine line between history and folklore, it is hard to know how much of that story is true.

While we will never know with certainty what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to Saint Patrick’s life, one thing we do know is that since around the ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing Saint Patrick’s Roman Catholic feast day on March 17. It was not always the festive event that it has become today, however. For many years in Ireland, it was a celebration marked by contemplation and prayer. In fact, according to IrishCentral, “Up until the 1970s, Irish law prohibited pubs from opening on March 17 as a mark of respect for this religious day. It was feared that leaving the pubs open would be too tempting for some during Lent and would lead to a disrespectful amount of drunkenness on this most solemn day.” 

Similar to so many cultural events, St. Patrick’s Day didn’t become the celebratory event it is today until it reached America. In fact, the History Channel noted that “the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America and actually predates the founding of the United States. And records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.” Further, “more than a century later, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in New York City on March 17, 1772, to honor the Irish patron saint. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there.” Today, there are literally hundreds of parades held around the country, including the New York City parade. According to Spectrum News, “It is the world’s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants.” Each year, nearly three million people line the nearly two-mile parade route to watch the procession. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades involving between 10,000 and 20,000 participants each.
 
Global Irish estimates that there are approximately “70 million people around the world who claim Irish roots.” That may be one reason that TIME recognized St. Patrick’s Day as “the most global national holiday.” And while we may not fully understand all the myths and legends surrounding the life and death of Saint Patrick, celebrating his contributions to Irish culture, history and folklore every March 17 can be a whole lot of fun no matter where you live or what your heritage may be.  

A Few New Listings this Week