The History Behind St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick is one of Christianity's widely known figures. He was the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents, near the end of the fourth century. He was taken prisoner at the age of 16 by a group of Irish raiders, who attacked his family estate. The Irish raiders transported him to Ireland where he was held captive for 6 years. During his captivity he worked as a Shepard, outdoors and away from other people. It was during this time, when he was afraid and lonely, that he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. During this time as well it was believed that St. Patrick dreamed of converting Irish people to the Christianity faith.

After being held six years as a prisoner St. Patrick escaped and according to his writing he believed a voice-which he believed was God-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. In order to do so it is said that St. Patrick had to walk 200 miles to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, he experienced a second revelation from an angel. It was said that the angel told St. Patrick to return to Ireland and become a missionary. Soon after, he began religious training. This was a course of study that lasted more than 15 years. After he was ordained as a priest, he went back to Ireland with a mission to minister to Christians whom were already living there. He began converting the Irish to Christians. He died March 17 following an exhausting evangelical mission. St. Patrick had grown to weak to continue his ministry. This is why we now celebrate St. Patrick's Day every March 17.

On March 17, 1762 the first St. Patrick's Day Parade took place and it was done so in New York, not Ireland. Irish soldiers who were serving in an English military were the first marchers. The parade, along with their music, helped them to reconnect with their Irish roots. Today St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by all, from people in America to Japan, Singapore, and Russia. St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion, in modern-day Ireland. Irish laws mandated that all pubs be closed on March 17th. It wasn't until 1995 that Irish government began changing that law to draw more tourists to Ireland. Today St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in Dublin, Ireland by concerts, outdoor theaters, and fireworks. In the United States we have parades and St. Patrick Day parties at the local pubs. Also during this time, Chicago dyes the Chicago River green in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.