St. Patrick's Day

I know that St. Patrick's Day isn't considered a "major" holiday by some, but for me it is noteworthy. As a person of strong Irish-American heritage, St. Pat's Day is a day in celebration of those who came before me. Yes, I know it is a holiday devoted mainly to pub crawls and corned beef. Yes I know that pinching will happen whether I wear green or not, and I also know that most people have no idea what St. Patrick's Day is really about. Here is a bit of Irish History for you!

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan

. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon

from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.

Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring.



I am not a beer drinker, never having developed a taste for it. I guess I failed my genes in that area. My mother's side also boasts German as well as Irish, so go figure.. you would think I would be a big fan of the brew. I have heard stories my whole life of the Homeland. I am actually descended from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. With relatives from all three being intermarried with the different peoples. I carry a deep family pride for all my heritage. My Great-Grandpa always said that family is a person's most precious possession. That clan comes before anything in the world. I bear the physical traits of my race. My fair skin, freckles and red hair mark me, but I don't mind. I proudly smile through the jokes about my red hair and whether I have a bad temper or a taste for wild things, I laugh at all the Irish jokes and I make my own quips about kissing the blarney stone as a child and my gift of gab. I am proud of who I am. I am grateful to my great great grandparents who made the journey to this strange new land. I am proud of how they tamed the land, fending off Indians and whites alike to stake a claim for the generations that would follow. I have heard the stories of brave men and women who settled in America from my Great-Grandfather, my Grandmother and my Father. I hope to emulate my amazing ancestors and to bring honor to our family name. I take my heritage very seriously, but being who I am and coming from the apple cheeked jolly race of storytellers and horse-traders known for their wit, I must laugh and enjoy a day devoted to fun and celebration! So to all those who are Irish, and all those to wish they were, Happy St. Patty's Day!!!!