Fun Facts About St. Patrick’s Day
Every year on March 17th we celebrate the holiday called Saint Patrick’s Day.
Who is Saint Patrick, and what’s the celebration all about?
Why do we have this holiday? Furthermore, why do we celebrate it here in the good ole USA?
We’re going to learn some fun facts about Saint Patrick.
Like where he comes from, and, also, what’s all that green about?
It’s sad to say, but my grandfather was Irish, and I didn’t know anything about St. Patrick’s Day.
After all, I guess I expected Irish people to know all about St. Patty’s Day.
Really though, as a kid, I learned, to show up to school wearing green so you didn’t get pinched. OUCH!
Who was Saint Patrick?
The man we know of today as Saint Patrick, was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century. His real name was MaeWyn Succat.
Wow! Now that’s a big change from Saint Patrick? He later changed his name to Patricius, or Patrick after he became at priest. The meaning comes from a Latin term for (father figure).
Anyways, when he was 16, he was kidnapped by pirates or Irish raiders and taken to Ireland.
Apparently, the slave trade was a big industry of that time.
So, upon arriving in Ireland, this young man was taken to a place called Dalriada. The pirates then sold him into slavery.
This is where he would spend the next several years of his life. In a strange land, with people he didn’t know. He was given the job to tend and look after the sheep.
How ironic it was for him to be tending physical sheep, because eventually God would lead him to take care of spiritual sheep.
God always has a plan. It may not be ours and it probably wasn’t St. Patrick’s to begin with.
Though, God would use the things that St. Patrick learned and experienced in Ireland to be able to bring him to Christ. These skills would also help him to eventually evangelize the country someday.
Though, Saint Patrick was not an educated man as he quoted in his Confessio or (confession).
www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio
“I blush and fear exceedingly to reveal my lack of education”, is what it said, yet while he was in Ireland as a slave, he learned to speak the language of the land.
Saint Patrick wasn’t raised with a strong religious upbringing, never-the-less he eventually came to know Jesus and became a Christian.
He felt that his kidnapping and being sold into slavery, was because he had gone away from God.
He said he didn’t listen to the priest when salvation was being taught.
Therefore, the Lord was upset with him and many others like him, so they were scattered around to other nations in the world.
After going through that experience as a slave, he eventually comes to see his lack of faith but learns he can depend on God.
Just like Saint Patrick, many of us go through things in our lives that will eventually strengthen us and draw us closer to God.
Little did Patrick know at the time, of how his life would be used for God.
He writes in his Confessio, that an Angel came to him and told him that he had fasted well, The Angel said, soon he would be able to return to his native country.
It was also told to him, that there was going to be a ship leaving Ireland. Trusting in God’s word, Patrick walked 200 miles, where he found a cargo ship that was heading to Europe.
After six years Saint Patrick was able to escape from Ireland and return to his homeland in Britain.
Though, it wouldn’t last long as God would call St. Patrick back to Ireland as a missionary.
Before Patrick left Ireland and returned to Britain. He sought to draw closer to God and prayed as many as 100 prayers a day.
He felt God had mercy on him as a kid and had protected him while he was enslaved in Ireland.
Now after many perils and trials that Patrick went through, he was finally home in Britain with his family. Patrick’s parents were like any other mom and dad, they did not want him to go out again. They begged him to stay and not leave.
However, God would have other plans.
One night Patrick has a vision. He felt like God was leading him back to the place of his slavery, Ireland.
St. Patrick said they called out as it were with one voice, we beg you holy boy “to come and walk again among us.”
God used St. Patrick to ministry to Ireland.
He was accredited as being the missionary that brought Christianity to them, thus driving the snakes out of the country of Ireland.
Historians believe that driving the snakes out of Ireland is symbolic to, Patrick ridding Ireland of the evil paganism that was prevalent in the land of that time.
Traditions of men
St. Patrick’s Day today, is believed to be a celebration of Ireland as much as it was Patrick.
We all know that we must wear green on St. Patrick’s Day according to legend and traditions.
But why?
It amazes me how we go along with so many traditions just because they’ve been passed down from generation to generation, yet without having any idea or clue why we are doing them. Oh my!
But as tradition goes, it is believed that wearing green on Saint Patrick’s Day is supposed to make people invisible to leprechauns.
Tradition says you will be pinched if you don’t wear green because they want to keep the leprechauns away.
Well, we don’t want leprechauns.
Also, green is the given color for The Irish Americans. They believed wearing green was a reminder that they were nationalists first and foremost.
Where did the origin of Leprechauns come from and who were they
Most legends take the origin to the 8th century tales or stories, where tales of water spirits were known as “luchorpan” which is supposed to mean small body.
Now I know this sounds kind of crazy to us, huh?
I know as a kid I had to make sure I wore green. Sounds kind of funny now, however beings I have an Irish background, somehow, I felt like it was my patriotic duty to wear green.
What was the Shamrock About
The shamrock was a plant that had a three-leaf clover on it. The clover symbolized Ireland. During the time of St. Patrick, he used the leaves on the plant to teach new Christians about the Trinity.
Each leaf was a representation of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Also, the leaves are believed to stand for love, hope and faith.
How come American’s celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
In 1762 the British army brought the holiday to America. This day is celebrated by Irish and non-Irish alike. St. Patrick’s Day is considered both a religious and a festive day.
Why is St. Patrick’s Day always on March 17th
The reason St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17th is because it is believed to be the anniversary of his death.
There you go, some fun things to know about (Maewyn Succat) aka St. Patrick. It’s a nice trip back in time to see who Patrick was and why he has a holiday named after him.
If you homeschool or not this makes a fun little lesson for the kids.
Click here to download my free printables for St. Patrick’s Day
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