Liam Riexinger, Freshman
Saint Patrick’s Day celebrates the patron saint of Ireland himself, Saint Patrick. The story begins with Patrick at the age of 16, being kidnapped and taken to Ireland. He was able to escape from his kidnappers but returned later to try and convert some of the Irish to Catholicism. This is one of the main reasons he is considered the patron saint of Ireland. Some other reasons include helping expanding the literacy of the Irish and establishing the Brehon Law, also known as the Early Irish Law, which was a law governed by the brehons or judges.
A lot of us wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day, but clovers are also a staple for the holiday. Clovers have become famous for luck, and are tied to the Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. The reason for this is that Saint Patrick used the leaves of the clovers to teach the Irish about the Holy Trinity. Each one of the leaves would either represent the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity. Saint Patrick is sometimes depicted with shamrocks attached to his robes. The color green is associated with the holiday for a few reasons. The first is because Ireland is sometimes referred to as the “Emerald Isle,” and secondly because of the green in the Irish flag.
Parades are also a huge part of the holiday. People have been celebrating the holiday with parades for many years. The largest parade is The New York City Street’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. The first account of this parade was actually in 1762. It was performed by a group of homesick Irish soldiers serving with the British army, stationed in the American colonies. It has since then grown into a huge parade and celebrates a holiday that is celebrated by many.
Saint Patrick’s day has been around for hundreds of years, and is celebrated by many people of Irish heritage all around the world. The story of Saint Patrick is not well known, and should be continued to be spread. He brought a religion to a country and made it huge. No matter how you celebrate it, with family, friends, or even watching the parade, Saint Patrick’s Day will always be an enjoyable time.
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