St. Patrick's Day is a Catholic feast day that has its roots in Ireland with the celebrations gaining significance in other countries, particularly America and Britain. It commemorates a revered Irishman.

So, what is the legend behind St. Patrick and why a festival in his name and how is the day celebrated ?

The story goes like this:

Born in the latter-half of fourth century (376 AD, or thereabouts) to Roman parents in Scotland or Roman England (there are conflicting opinions regarding the exact place of birth), he was previously known by the name Maewyn Succat. He was given a Latin name Patricius, which led  to him be known as (the Anglicized) Patrick.

As a youngster, Patrick was a pagan. He did not believe in Christianity. Later in his childhood, he and his sister Lupita were kidnapped by Scotch marauders and sold as slaves to the Celtic Druids who then ruled Ireland.

It was during Patrick's captivity that his attitude and beliefs towards God changed. After six years, he escaped from slavery when he dreamt of God giving him instructions for the same.

He then traveled to France with his parents and was kidnapped two more times until, at Bordeaux, he was given his liberty.

He was taught the priesthood at a the Monastery of St. Martin in France. He again dreamt of Irish people calling him and requiring his services.

In St. Patrick's Confessio the saint wrote that he would often pray up to 100 times a day. One night, while in the monastery, he said he heard many voices that were calling him back to Ireland to help the remaining slaves. At this time, he was somewhere in his mid-thirties and he answered the callings.

So, Patrick returned to Ireland with firm belief of converting pagans to Christianity, eventually being ordained a priest and becoming a bishop. Despite being arrested by the Celtic Druids several times, he always managed to escape. He was not deterred.

Patrick was one of the first Christian missionaries in Ireland. He actively baptized the native Irish and preached Christianity. Patrick used diplomacy wisely, like gifting people in kinglets and gifting lawgivers.

He was confident in the Lord, and he journeyed far and wide, baptizing, and confirming with untiring zeal. Indeed, Patrick was successful at converting Ireland to Christianity.

Not only was Patrick diplomatic with the kings, he made important converts among the royal families. For 20 years he roamed Ireland, establishing monasteries, schools, and churches, which would aid him in his conversions.

He died on March 17th. He was said to have been 82 years old (or thereabouts).

How is St. Patrick's Day celebrated?

Catholics will often start the day off early at Holy Mass which signifies the beginning of the holiday.

As a part of the celebration, many folks wear shamrocks on their lapels or caps on St. Patrick’s Day. Children traditionally wear the tricolor badges of the Irish flag (green, white and orange). Girls wore green ribbons in their hair and many still do.

St. Patrick used a shamrock to represent the Trinity—one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). The Trinity is a fundamental truth of the Christian faith.

The shamrock was also considered lucky by Irish people. Furthermore, the shamrock was used by the Irish as a mark of nationalism when the English invaded the Celtics. Thus, a shamrock is seen with a lot of importance in Ireland.

Leprechauns and Irish fairy people are also associated with St. Patrick's festival. In Irish mythology, a leprechaun is a type of elf said to inhabit the island of Ireland.

In the 21st century, the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin have extended to a week-long event called St. Patrick’s Festival, encompassing a spectacular fireworks display, open-air music, street theater, and the traditional parade. Over one million people typically attend the festival.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and those of Irish descent. A major parade takes place in Dublin and in most other Irish towns and villages. The three largest parades of recent years have been held in Dublin, New York, and Birmingham England.

Parades also take place in such far-flung places as: London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and throughout the Americas.

But why?

A great man once told me, "There are two types of people in this world: The Irish and those who want to be Irish."

Here is some quick trivia about St. Patrick's Day:

• March 17th, the day of celebration, is the day Patrick died. The Church considers it his Birthday because in the language of the Church, Birthday refers to the day on which a Saint enters heaven. However, the Blessed Virgin and St. John the Baptist are exceptions to this rule.

• St. Patrick, the patron saint of the Irish, was not from Ireland.

• Patrick was a missionary in Ireland during the 4th century.

• He converted many people into the Christian religion (Catholicism).

• The shamrock, symbol of St. Patrick's Day, is a plant with three leaves that Patrick used to demonstrate to the pagans the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

• Maewyn is the name St. Patrick was born with. His name was changed by the Bishop in a monastery in France, after he escaped his captivity. He was not religious for most of his childhood.

• The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was in Boston in 1737, 40 years before the Revolutionary War.

• The first day of spring is March 21st, and this could be a reason St. Patrick's Day celebrations have caught on so big.

• Everyone turns Irish for a day. Just wear green—it is the sign of life.

• Some Irish or Irish-American dishes include Corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, Irish cream pie, Irish soda bread, scones, Irish cheese bread. Some of these are a good choice on St. Patrick's Day. Some not so much.

In a nutshell, it can be seen that the legends revolving around St. Patrick have been inseparably combined with the facts. The day invariably evokes the "I am Irish" sentiments, but more importantly prayers are invoked for St. Patrick, thanking him for his services towards Ireland.

Together, these things help the secular world know much more about the saint and the spirit behind celebration of the day.

As always,

Brian

P.S. –  St. Patrick was incredibly tough—mentally—to be able to withstand the series of kidnappings and imprisonments.

I wrote a short e-book the other day called Mental Toughness – Mastering Resilience for Success. It won't give you all the secrets to becoming a great saint like Patrick, but you can get on your way.

And it's a small investment toward a great life: