What is St. Patrick's Day and why do we celebrate it today?

What is St. Patrick’s Day all about? And why do we celebrate it today?

To the many who seriously observe St. Patrick’s Day, it is a holy day that signifies the passing of St. Patrick on March 17^th, AD 461.  St. Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland.

If you are still wondering  who  St. Patrick was, Well… he was mostly known for his signature roll of  delivering a sermon on a hilltop that drove all the snakes out of Ireland.  He had to be metaphorically speaking because snakes weren’t even native to that region of the world.  I’m guessing what he meant was, his focus was to convert the Pagans into Christianity, so in a sense, calling Celtic druids; serpents and trying to convert or cast them out.

Up until Patrick was  about 17 years old,  he was a Pagan himself who was enslaved by village raiders and during his captivity, he converted to Christianity and went on to try and convert everybody else by having a hand in building churches and schools across Ireland in his later years as a bishop.

I think If St. Patrick was around today; he would be flabbergasted at the amount of peeps spreading across the world today that get drunk in his name but don’t even know the history of this holiday, especially the extra sloppy ones with no paid holiday for nursing a boom-bangin’ hang over.

Looking deeper into the legend of this holiday, I found out a little bit more about the history and it only got more confusing…

   Legend has it St. Patrick actually used a 3 leafed clover as part of his sermon for an example of the trinity by explaining to the Pagans and faith followers that it signified the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit  and how they can be three separate elements part of the same entity.  

 I’m not a bible pusher, you can believe what you want but I find it Interesting considering , some people who observes this holiday drink excessively and are looking for a 4 leafed clover.   What’s that fourth element supposed to represent anyway?   I’ve found a couple of those in my lifetime but I have yet to meet a little man dressed in green associated with it.

Speaking of which, don’t get me started on rainbows and pots of gold, how do they become part of the legend anyway?  

Those of you that found out last year that the Easter bunny wasn’t real brace yourself for this one….Unless you are looking inside a box of Lucky Charms or touring St. Patrick’s Day themed location is Second Life. Chances are you won’t find these Icons all in one place and even get to do the jig with them too!

 

 Besides that, I think someone may have eaten a crazy mushroom somewhere down the storytelling line or legends got tainted and smeared in the Pubs across Ireland through the centuries, by drunken Irishmen and their wenches who twisted up the story and brought it to America in 1737.   Who really knows?

Whatever the case may be, it is still recognized today but it seems it is more about drinking yourself into a stupor, wearing green and getting lucky.

With that said, have a safe, responsible and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Cheers

   ~Lanai