On March 17, people all over the world will be joining with the Irish to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, to honor Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. The first Irish celebrations on the date of St. Patrick's death were noisy affairs. As the Irish emigrated around the world, they took the St. Pat's celebration with them, and today parades are held in some of the unlikeliest places you can imagine. The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston. Cities like New York and Boston will have large parades in which shamrocks, leprechauns and the color green will predominate. Chicago will even dye its river green. No matter where you are, on Saint Patty's Day you will see the color green worn more than on any other day of the year. The "wearing of the green," the national color of Ireland, has become a way for people anywhere in the world to connect with Ireland.

St Patrick, the man

It is a myth that Patrick was Irish. Almost 1500 years ago he was born near Dumbarton, Scotland to a Gaelic family who had migrated to Britain. His given name was Maewyn Succat, which means "warlike". Since Britain was part of the Roman Empire and had become Christian, the child was baptized and called Patricius, meaning "noble". Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At 16, he was kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave to a Druid chieftain in Ireland. While herding pigs (or cows - even this is not clear), he had much time to ponder the many Bible verses his Christian father taught him. They led him to trust Christ as his Savior. In his Confessions he wrote, "At 16 ... in a strange land the Lord opened my unbelieving eyes and I was converted."

During his six years of slavery, he was known as "Holy Boy" because he was always praying and talking about his Savior. He escaped from slavery and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." He alluded to this verse in his Confessions when he wrote, "Whatever happens to me, whether pleasant or distasteful, I accept, giving thanks to God who never disappoints."

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the pagans that had overrun the country. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. Two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland. Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years, possibly forty. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. It is sometimes reported that St. Patrick died on March 17, 493 after bringing the Christian faith to Ireland. This date is not confirmed. Some say he died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Folklore

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated. For instance, it is a folk tale that Patrick drove the snakes off the "Emerald Isle." Snakes being commonly associated with Satan, sin and evil since the Garden of Eden, this tale may have arisen as a metaphor of his singlehanded effort to drive the idol-worshiping Druid cult out of Ireland. During his 29 years as a missionary, from 432-461 AD, Patrick baptized over 120,000 Irishmen, and established at least 300 churches in which the Savior God was owned, the Word of God was preached and the triune God was worshiped. While the snake story is myth, it is true that Patrick did stand up against the evil cult they symbolized. Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. Also, Patrick has never been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

Interesting Tidbits

The Irish heritage has had a profound influence on the United States as a nation. Nine of the people who signed our Declaration of Independence were of Irish origin, and nineteen Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish heritage -including our first President, George Washington.

The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) - its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's tough to reach the stone - it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to stretch to their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support.

In written English, the first reference to the Shamrock dates from 1571, and in written Irish, as seamrog, from 1707. Three is Ireland's magic number, hence the Shamrock. Crone, Mother and Virgin. Love, Valour and Wit. Faith, Hope and Charity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Numbers played an important role in Celtic symbolism. Three was the most sacred and magical number. Three may have signified totality: past, present and future OR behind, before and here; OR sky, earth and underworld. Everything good in Ireland comes in threes. The rhythm of story-telling in the Irish tradition is based on threefold repetition. This helps to intensify and exaggerate a story. Even today in pubs, a storyteller can rarely resist a third adjective, especially if it means stretching a point. "Three accomplishments well regarded in Ireland: a clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces."