St. Patrick Day

Many of the immigrants to the United States are of Irish ancestry. Every year on March 17 or the preceding Saturday, cities across America that have a large Irish population hold St. Patrick Day parades. Green is the color of the day. One tradition is that if you do not wear green on that day, you can be pinched.

St. Patrick Day has its origins in ancient times as so many of our celebrations. The legend of St. Patrick is that as a young boy he lived in the British Isles. He was captured and taken as a slave to Ireland. He lived there for several years herding sheep but always prayed that he would someday return to his home.

One night while he was praying, he heard a voice telling him to escape from the farm and find a ship that was waiting for him. Patrick found the ship and sailed to Europe, probably landing in France. He led several members of the crew through forests safely. When they were hungry, a wild animal would appear so they could eat. This story and others became miracles attributed to Patrick.

After receiving a calling from God, Patrick felt it was his duty to return to Ireland to convert the Celtic people to Christianity. He returned to Ireland as a missionary, going from village to village. When the people did not understand what he meant by the Holy Trinity, he picked a shamrock and explained it to them. The shamrock became the symbol of Ireland.

Stories about Patrick were told all over the country. He had become a saint. He died on March 17 and the day was set aside to mourn him. He became the patron saint of Ireland. March 17 is now celebrated as a day to commemorate the memory of St. Patrick.

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