I used to think that St. Patrick’s Day was just another excuse to claim to be Irish, kiss everybody in sight, drink and act like a complete dodo head, but after having done a wee bit o’ research on the subject, I can see that there is a little more to it than that.
Of course, I always knew that St. Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland, but I didn’t realize how ancient the holiday itself was, dating back to the saint’s lifetime, around 385 - 461 AD. I also didn’t fully appreciate that he was credited with bringing Christianity, specifically Catholicism, to the island. Somebody had to drive out the pagans, right? Apparently not. Instead, he converted them. Good for St. Pat!
At 16, he was sold into slavery, escaped his captors and became a Christian convert, to eventually be appointed the 2nd Bishop of Ireland, hell bent on converting the Irish pagans to Christianity. He was responsible for abolishing the pagan rites of the Druids at Tara, converting the warrior chiefs and princes, and baptizing thousands of people in holy wells that still bear his name today. He founded monasteries, schools and churches throughout the country. No wonder he became a saint. He did a terrific job of expanding the Catholic Church’s influence during his lifetime. And on the date of his death, March 17, 461, St. Patrick’s Day was born, and has survived down through the ages, a holiday almost as old as Christmas.
There is a bit o’ magic and mystery surrounding this holiday. Naturally. We’ve had centuries to embellish the old stories and make up new ones. A common favorite is the one where St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. While it is true there are no snakes there, and probably never were, it is most likely due to the fact that the island became separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. But if a person would rather believe that St. Patrick did it, that’s okay by me. Most of the time, I prefer magic to the truth myself. However, it is difficult to ignore the obvious metaphor between the snakes and the pagan rituals which were driven away by our Irish hero. It’s all a matter of individual perspective, I suppose.
I always wondered why the shamrock became regarded as a symbol of good luck. Apparently, St. Patrick commonly used one during his sermons to illustrate the relationship between the Holy Trinity. Great visual aid! The shamrock thus started out as a teaching tool and religious symbol, and over time, became a token of good luck, worn on St. Patrick’s day to commemorate the saint himself, eventually developing into a more generic symbol of good luck.
Today, St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of the luck o’ the Irish and is associated with the colors green and gold, with shamrocks, pots of gold at ends of rainbows, leprechauns, luck and magic. Among the more devout, it is a day for spiritual renewal and prayer. And still for others, it’s a celebration heralding the coming of spring. And then there are those to whom it is just another excuse to claim to be Irish, kiss everybody in sight, drink and act like a complete dodo head.
For me, St. Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to wish people well with a phone call, a hug or a kiss. And on St. Patrick’s Day, we are all Irish, every single one of us.
On that note, Happy St. Patrick’s Day. I wish you well.
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