History of St. Patrick's Day

An Irish national holiday, St. Patrick's Day (March 17) is widely celebrated
worldwide. Although not an official holiday in the United States, it is still celebrated with much fervor by wearing green, eating Irish food and drink, and attending parades.

Who Was St. Patrick?

One of Christianity's most widely known figures, St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. It has been suggested his father became a Christian deacon for the tax incentives because there is no evidence that religion was taught in Patrick's home.

Patrick was taken prisoner at the age of sixteen by a group of Irish raiders on his family's estate. They shipped him to Ireland where he spent six years as a slave. During this time, lonely and afraid, he turned to religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. This is when he first dreamt of converting the Irish people to Christianity.

His Visions

After six years of captivity, Patrick escaped. He heard a voice, which he believed was God's, that told him it was time to leave Ireland.

Patrick had to walk nearly 200 miles to the Irish coast to escape back to Britain. He experienced a second revelation, an angel telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick studied religion for more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland to minister to current Christians and to begin to convert the Irish. The current Christians in Ireland contradict the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.

Incorporating Traditional Rituals

Having been captive for over six years in Ireland, Patrick knew the Irish language and culture. He chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity. He did not want to eradicate native Irish beliefs because most of the people practiced a nature-based pagan religion. He used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. The sun, a power Irish symbol, was superimposed onto the Christian cross to create the Celtic cross.

Celebration

The celebratory day, March 17, is the religious feast day and anniversary of St. Patrick's death. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years.

The day falls during the Christian season Lent. Irish families would attend church and celebrate all day. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people had a good time feasting on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick's_Day

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=859&display_order=1&mini_id=1082