St. Patrick’s Day has become a holiday far-removed from its roots.  Nowadays, many of us associate the day with wearing green, watching for leprechauns, eating corned beef, and the like.  Many of these traditions actually come from Irish immigrants, who after coming to America transplanted and adapted their customs for life in a new country.  

But the day itself is far older, as is the man for whom it’s named.  Who was Saint Patrick?  Why do we celebrate him?  And what is the significance of March 17th? 

Much of what we know about St. Patrick was actually written long after his death, which means most of it should be taken with a grain of salt.  What we do know is that Patrick was born in Scotland, sometime in the late 4th century.  Some sources claim he was born in the year 387, but since there were no birth certificates at the time, it’s impossible to say for certain. 

There are only two surviving documents that historians agree were written by the real Saint Patrick.  One is a letter called Confessio, which is Latin for Declaration.  In this letter Patrick wrote about his life.1 

When Patrick was 16, he was kidnapped by raiders and taken to Ireland.  There he was sold to an Irish chieftain, and for about six years worked as a slave.  During this time, he began to pray.  As Patrick himself told it, “In a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly the same.”

Strange as it may seem, his time as a slave was probably one of the best things that could have happened to him, as far as preparing him for his vocation in life.  Not only did he become deeply spiritual, but he mastered the Irish language and learned the culture of the island.2 

In his Confessio, Patrick wrote that an angel encouraged him to escape.  After traveling on foot for 200 miles, Patrick finally reached the coast and found a ship ready to sail.  Soon he was back home with a new-found dedication to serving God.  Over the next several years, Patrick attended various monasteries before being promoted to the priesthood.  At some point during his service, Patrick received a vision … a vision that would ultimately lead him back to Ireland.

 

“In a vision of the night, I saw a man whose name was Victoricus coming as if from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: ‘The Voice of the Irish’; and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying as if with one voice: ‘We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and walk again among us.’  And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more, and thus I awoke.”1

 

Back in Ireland, Patrick worked tirelessly to convert the island’s people to Christianity.  It was no easy task.  Prior to his arrival, Druidism was Ireland’s main religion, and the Druids were understandably hostile.  Patrick was beaten, robbed, and even imprisoned, but still managed to baptize “thousands of people.”  He converted the sons of kings, which went a long way to legitimizing his religion.  And he fought against slavery, excommunicating other Christians who practiced it.

Patrick died on March 17th, probably in the year 460.  So when we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’re actually celebrating the anniversary of his death.  And while most of the day’s traditions are modern, a few stem from Patrick himself.  For example, Patrick is sometimes said to have used the three-leafed shamrock as a way to preach the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  Shamrocks, of course, are still associated with St. Patrick to this day. 

Patrick was an incredibly important figure in the history of Ireland, and much of the country’s religious and cultural history stems from him.  That’s why he was later given sainthood, and why the Irish continue to celebrate him to this day.  Over time, his name has become attached to more modern traditions, but this isn’t unusual.  Most holidays have evolved to reflect many different customs.  I think it’s only natural.  It is society’s way of wedding the past with the present; of keeping the past alive, long after the memory of it has faded away. 

So now you know a little bit about the history of St. Patrick’s Day … and maybe the man behind the myth will become a little more real. 

 

From all of us at the Hamer-Allen Group, have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!