A (very) Brief History of St. Patrick's Day

Have you ever wondered who the real St. Patrick was? What the big deal is around all the parades and celebrations? Each year millions of people around the world celebrate this patron saint of Ireland without any knowledge of his life or why he is so important to the Emerald Isle.

St Patrick is not Irish. He was born in Wales, a Roman territory at the time, in 385 AD and was raised in a wealthy family. His given name was Maewyn, though some say it was Succat, a Celtic word meaning �victorious.' His father was a Roman official so Maewyn was also known as Patricus. When he was 16 he was captured by a clan of Irish marauders and taken to Ireland as a slave. Once in Ireland, he was sent to County Antrim to be a shepherd. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian.
After six years as a slave, Patrick escaped and made his way back to his family. He began studying in a monastery and there �heard the voice of God' telling him to return to Ireland to convert the Pagans to Christianity. This he did as Bishop to Ireland in 432. His first church was in Saul in Northern Ireland.

Perhaps his most famous achievement was to drive all the snakes from Ireland. Science has shown that there never were any snakes in Ireland. So how did Patrick achieve this miracle? It is believed that the snakes are a metaphor for the Devil. This is seen as the conversion of Pagans and the expulsion of Satan from Ireland. Patrick used the shamrock as a method of explaining how the Trinity can be seen as one God. Patrick explained that the shamrock, with its three separate leaves on one stalk, is the same as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three aspects of the Christian God. Patrick established many monasteries and churches throughout Ireland and is seen as the man single-handedly responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland.

March 17, 481 is considered to be the day St. Patrick died, but with shift of calendars in the 18th century, there could be some discrepancy. It is now considered the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland and Nigeria. St. Patrick is considered to be one of the many popular saints in the Catholic religion who were acclaimed into sainthood prior to today's tougher standards.
St. Patrick's Day celebrations began in Ireland as a holy day, with no particular parade or festival. In fact, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in the Boston in 1737 and the first in New York City was in 1762 as a response to the prejudice against the Irish Catholic people. In an effort to foster cultural pride and promote acceptance, the Irish community banded together to respond to the organization known as the "Know Nothings." The "Know Nothings" were a group of native born Americans who saw the Irish as invaders of the land, who took jobs away from the Americans. The groups of Irish formed in the slums and neighborhoods of the poor in many cities around the country, and particularly in Boston and New York. As a group, the Irish had a huge impact on the political systems of the cities and were slowly recognized as a voting block to be recognized.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by the Irish and the Irish-for-the-Day around the world. From the wearing of the green, green beer, and dyeing a river green, the day has come far from the recognition of the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. The New York City parade, sponsored by the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, a group dating back to the 1820's, is the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, lasting four to five hours and progressing up 5th Avenue from 44th St to 86th St.