A toast to St Patrick; the beloved “Irish” Saint

     

   It’s almost that time again. Parades, green pride, shamrock shakes and Guinness. All over the country the Irish and the “Irish-for-the-day” will be celebrating with stout beers, red wigs, shamrock pins and green clothing. This nationally recognized holiday is beloved by all ages-and has given Americans a day to appreciate the Irish heritage and join in on some of their jovial traditions. Thankfully, it is also a welcome sign of spring.

But how did this start and who was St. Patrick? Many Irish Americans like me don’t know much about him except that he is the Patron Saint of Ireland. But that’s about it. Since I have written an historical novel about my Irish ancestors and since I have always celebrated this holiday with enthusiasm and pride, I thought I should delve into the history of St. Patrick and discover what he was all about. Was he a leprechaun? Did he collect shamrocks? Did he drink Guinness and wear green robes? And finally-did he eat a steady diet of corn beef and cabbage? It is not surprising that I discovered many comical legends and myths about this famous ‘Irish” saint. The history is as colorful and imaginative as the people of Ireland.

 

 

Here are the facts:

 

 

1.    St. Patrick’s real name was not Patrick-it was Maewyn Succat.

 

 

2.    St. Patrick was not Irish. He was born in Britain, and his parents were Roman.

 

 

3.    He was born around 375 AD.

 

 

4.    When he was 16 years old he was kidnapped by Irish pirates (while living in Britain) and sold into slavery. He was forced to tend and herd sheep in the Slemish Mountains in Ireland.

 

 

5.    St. Patrick was a slave for 6 years (in that time he learned the Irish language and turned to God in prayer.) He had a vision to escape and return to Britain. He found a ship and sailed back to his parents in Scotland.

 

 

6.    While in Britain he converted to Christianity and became a priest and later a bishop. He received another vision; that the people of Ireland were calling him to come back and walk among them.

 

 

7.    He returned and changed his name to Patrick. He converted many Irish people to Christianity and he worked as a missionary for 40 years. He also built schools and monasteries.

 

 

8.    He Died- March 17th, 461 AD (approximately)

 

 

Legacies of Saint Patrick

 

 

1.    Patrick’s Pot- the name given to the measure of whiskey to be taken on Saint Patrick’s Day.

 

 

2.    Parades and parties- These did not originate in Ireland. During the Great Famine one million Irish emigrated and many came to New York, Boston and other states. The Irish brought their traditions with them. They celebrated March 17th by toasting a pint and wearing a hint of green to honor their beloved Isle. Their pride for their country was contagious. The first parade was in Boston in 1737 organized by the Charitable Irish Society.

 

 

3.    NYC boasts the largest and longest (and most famous) St. Patrick’s Day Parade on 5th Avenue.

 

 

Myths of Saint Patrick

 

 

1.     He discovered the Shamrock. There are no such things as Shamrocks but the symbol was created by Christians to signify the cross and the Holy Trinity. Nowadays it represents Ireland. It can be found almost anywhere; on the head of a Guinness, on the Irish airplane Aer Lingus and on a Celtics’ Jerseys.

 

 

2.    Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland: Here’s the problem, there are no snakes in Ireland. The water around the country is too cold to sustain warm-blooded reptiles. This is probably a metaphor for his part in driving Paganism from Ireland.

 

 

3.    Saint Patrick was a leprechaun- and he only ate corn beef and cabbage: No, he was an Irish missionary who lived in the 5th century.

 

 

4.     Saint Patrick could paint a rainbow in the sky and at the end was “a pot of gold.” Not true, this story was passed down to exemplify how St. Patrick opened the Irish people’s eyes to Christianity-and following the rainbow (God) would lead to a pot of Gold (life riches).

 

 

 

Now you know the real story behind Saint Patrick’s Day. Although it is true that St. Patrick was not really Irish, he is honored for returning to Ireland and converting many Irish to Christianity. It is really the Irish people who have deemed him the Patron Saint of Ireland and who have carried the Irish traditions to America and around the world. As Irish-Americans have gained influence in politics and imbedded themselves in all forms of American culture, more of their Irish traditions have been introduced and celebrated. Today Americans honor a few of the more “nontraditional” traditions of the holiday like watching an Irish parade, wearing leprechaun and shamrock costumes and guzzling anything green (especially beer). So, this year as you are out celebrating the holiday, raise a glass of Irish stout and thank St. Patrick (well, Maewyn) for originating this day of Irish celebration. It’s probably not quite what he would have had in mind for a commemorative, but little did he know he would inspire a fashion trend and encourage a day of beer drinking! Slainte!

 

 

 

*Resources; History.com, Biography.com, Ireland .com, Wikipedia.com

 

* image credit:  http://www.stthomasaquinaschurch.org