St Patricks day – The origin

For many people in England, Scotland, and Wales, St Patrick’s day is just another ordinary day. If you were to have a look on your calendar though, there might be an event called ‘St Patrick’s day.’ Everyone knows that the colour green is associated with this day, but do you know the reason for this event to be celebrated and marked on all our calendars? You might wonder what St Patrick’s day is about, or you could already know. If you don’t though, here is a brief explanation of how this day came about and why it is celebrated.

St Patrick’s day is celebrated on the 17th of march every year to mark the day St Patrick died, along with paying respects for him. As you may have guessed it is a Christian celebration specifically a Catholic one as St Patrick was a Saint of a Catholic church.

He is believed to have died in AD461 in Saul, a village in Northern Ireland.

St Patrick was born in England. (Not Ireland as you may expect) and was given the name Maewyn Succat.

When St Patrick was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by some Irish raiders under the order of their King along with several others. He was taken to Ireland where he lived as a slave herding and tending to sheep. During his time as a slave, St Patrick became fluent in the Irish language and culture of the Irish.

St Patrick was not brought up religiously, or with much education, however during this time he also became more devoted to his faith Christianity.

After six years of captivity, St Patrick had a vision instructing him to leave for Britain on a boat on a shore some distance away, St Patrick escaped from his captivity and fled to the boat which was on the course for Britain.

Some say he was then later abducted in France on his way to Britain, for a short period of time. During this period of captivity St Patrick learnt about monasticism.

Another version on his story states that the crew had to abandon their ship in France and spent days wandering.

St Patrick was later re-united with his parents and retuned back to France where he studied priesthood under St Germain.

St Patrick then made his way to Ireland as a missionary after some deliberation. It is said that he had dreamed of preaching in Ireland since his days of being a captive in the country.

St Patrick was first treated with hostility but keen on his mission he remained in Ireland preaching about the Holy Trinity as some say using the three leafed plant ‘Shamrock’ to assist in his explanations. The word ‘shamrock’ itself means ‘young clover’ taken from an Irish word. St Patrick used the young clover to explain the holy trinity using the three leaves and stalk to represent the holy trinity, the father, son, and holy spirit

St Patrick preached Christianity in Ireland for about twenty years building churches, schools, monasteries, and baptising.

St Patrick later died in Ireland and was buried in a place called Downpatrick on a hill. A cathedral was later built on the top of this hill in the twelfth century, with other saints buried in the same hill later. Now at the bottom of this hill you will find St Patrick’s centre, a place where people can learn about St Patrick.

St Patrick centre remains as the only permanent exhibit in the world dedicated to the saint.

St Patrick’s day is now a public holiday in Ireland, it is a day that many across the world celebrate with parades and festivals for the coming of Christianity to Ireland along with others celebrating it to honour Irish heritage and culture.