A reason to celebrate St. Patrick's
St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated on March 17, but do we really know why this special holiday is celebrated? When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, I think of the Irish, shamrocks, parades, and wearing something green. St Patrick’s Day is much more. The Irish have celebrated this fun holiday for over a 1,000 years. Researching my ancestors, I found that my descendants were Scottish, Irish, and German. So, there is a reason for me to celebrate.
It is an annual holiday celebrating Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. March 17 was chosen because St. Patrick died on this day in the year 461. His full name is Maewyn Succat. He was born in either Wales or Scotland, according to the website Ireland.com. When he was 16 years old, his family’s home was attacked by Irish raiders, and he became enslaved in Ireland. He spent six years working as a herdsman before he escaped back to Britain.
St. Patrick returned to Ireland after he had a dream that deeply moved him. He wrote: “They called out as it were with one voice: `We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.’ He viewed this dream as a calling from God and spent his life traveling through Ireland, converting and baptizing people into Christianity. His outreach brought Christianity to Ireland during the fifth century and now his life and the outreach to Ireland is celebrated.
One of the legends of St. Patrick is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland, summoned food for the hungry, and even raised the dead. But the most essential legend is the shamrock. It is believed that St. Patrick used the Irish clover as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he first introduced Christianity to Ireland. The Irish clover, the shamrock, explained the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Irish tradition during the celebration is to wear the shamrock.
Most holidays have parades, and more than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held throughout the United States, with Boston and New York being two of the largest. The first parade held in the U.S. Was in 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida. It was a Spanish colony, and the parade was organized by Ricardo Artur. In 1772, Irish military soldiers marched on March 17 in New York City to honor the Irish patron, and the enthusiasm grew from there.
The holiday is celebrated by wearing green. I never asked why; I just associated it with the shamrock. However, when I did some research, I found that the color associated with St. Patrick’s Day began as blue. The Irish green came onto the scene in the 19th century. I’m happy either way because blue and green are my favorite colors.
St. Patrick’s Day is a way for those who would like to celebrate the spreading of the love and grace that the Lord has given us and to recognize a man who spent his life telling and teaching people of his love and grace.
“I live for my God to teach unbelievers, if I am worthy, even if some people hate me.”