I find it quite remarkable to see so many people line up to follow traditions in the spirit of fun, yet have no idea why we do these things. Does no one care to ask? Does no one care, at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you, and actually if you all knew the reasons behind this particular holiday, my following article wouldn't mean very much and I would be left with nothing of interest to write about.
So, St. Patrick, who was this guy? Well, despite common belief, he was not born in Ireland, nor did he drive all the snakes from the country, or even introduce Christianity to Ireland. And even more interesting, to me anyway, is that the original color associated with this patron saint is blue, not green! So where did we get these ideas? Why is a four leaf clover lucky?
Maewyn Succat, his birth name, was allegedly born to a very well-to-do family in Rome, sometime late in the fourth century. His father, Calphurnius was a deacon in the Roman church. However the family history supports that the job was taken for tax incentives, not so much the drive of religious beliefs.
Around the age of 16 Maewyn was taken captive by a group of Irish Raiders. He was held in captivity somewhere near the West coast of Ireland, perhaps in County Mayo, for 6 years. It was during this time of solitude and slavery that he turned to his religion and God for solace and support. Sometime around the age of 22 he received a vision of God in a dream, telling him that it was time for him to go home. He escaped on foot and walked approximately 200 miles to board a ship and return home. Shortly after arriving home he received another vision-led direction from God, telling him that he should return to Ireland as a missionary and spread the Gospel.
He received his ordination into priesthood after more than 15 years of religious training, and was given his Catholic name, Patrick from Pope Celestine. His mission to Ireland was to provide guidance to the Christian's in the area and to convert the Irish. Which means that Patrick did not introduce Christianity to the Irish Nation, but he did play a very large part in spreading it.
In trying to explain the Holy Trinity, Patrick used resources at hand. From the common clover, or shamrock, he showed the people of Ireland how the Holy Trinity was like the three leaves of the clover, separate but united at the stem. By living within the country for six years he was familiar with the pagan beliefs and religious symbols. He took the image of the sun, a very powerful Irish icon, and placed it in the center of the Christian cross. Thus creating the, easily recognizable, Celtic Cross. (That is the story, but probably not completely accurate as the Celtic Cross has shown up in history long before that)
It is believed that Patrick died on March 17th, around 460 A.D. which is complimentary to the date we celebrate him now. The holiday behind the patron saint of Ireland is still recognized as a religious holiday in Ireland, and other parts of the world. But it is the secular symbols that we recognize more easily on St. Patrick's day.
The wearing of green, this actually came from the clovers, which he was remembered for. The green clovers turned to green ribbons and during the 1798 rebellion, became green attire. Looking to make a political statement the soldiers of Ireland dressed in entirely green uniforms, hoping to catch some public attention. And it seems they have, for if you don't wear green now, you are liable to get a pinch!
And the clovers, how many times have you looked for a four leaf clover, or heard of their supposed "luck"? Well now that we know that St. Patrick used the 3 leaf clover, it must certainly leave a question with you. Well lucky for you I have done my homework. The four leaf clover dates back before Christianity, and has not much to do with St. Patrick's day at all.
The Irish were primarily a nature based religion for many years, the Celtic Priests, known as Druids are responsible for the luckiness behind the four leaf clover. It was believe that the Celtic Charm had great powers against malevolent spirits and it was highly acclaimed to bring good fortune upon a person to possess one. From there it has been held to represent Faith, Hope, Love, and of course, Luck. Being that the chances of finding a true four leaf clover are very rare, I'm sure that a person that does stumble upon one must hold some amount of luck!
The other traditions, green beer, feasting on Irish food, are very simple to explain. Ireland is known, and has been known, for its beer loving patrons, and the Feast of St. Patrick has been held by religious followers for centuries. So if you are going to celebrate St. Patrick, your beer might as well be green and your food might as well be cabbage and corned beef!
I hope you all have a very lucky St. Patrick's Day, and that there is Whiskey in your jar!
This is another famous Irish Song, and the scenery in the video is breath taking!
