WHAT ARE WE CELEBRATING?
ORIGIN
The Saint Patrick’s Day is an annual religious holiday celebrated on 17th March. The Gaelic Irish name of this holiday is Lá Fhéile Pádraig, meaning the Day of the Festival of Patrick. The reason for the marking of this holiday on March 17th is that it is the date of death of St. Patrick the patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day was declared as a Christian feast day officially at the beginning of the seventeenth century and is celebrated by the
– Church of Ireland
– The Anglican Communion
– Eastern Orthodox Church
– The Catholic Church
– Lutheran Church.
LORE
This day praises the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and Saint Patrick, along with the celebration of the Irish culture in general. The knowledge that we have on St Patrick today is derived from the Declaration, which was supposedly written by Patrick himself. It is commonly accepted that he was born in the fourth century in Roman Britain into a rich Romano-British family. After he was enslaved by the Irish raiders at the age of sixteen, he turned to Christianity and later became a priest.
The legend says that Saint Patrick, upon his return to
Ireland, used the three-leaved shamrock in order to explain to Irish pagans the Holy Trinity. The purpose of his return to Ireland was to convert the Irish, who were pagans at the time, to Christianity. The Declaration states that he spent several years preaching in the northern part of the island and was able to convert thousands of pagans. According to tradition he died on 17th of March and was buried at Downpatrick. In the centuries to come a number of legends were told about Patrick until he was finally proclaimed as the patron saint of whole of Ireland.
This particular festivity usually includes street parades and festivals, céilithe or a traditional Gaelic gathering and the wearing of the green attire with shamrocks. On this day Christians attend service in the church and the eating and drinking alcohol Lenten restrictions do not apply on this day, which is directly linked to the alcohol consumption propaganda on this particular day. Saint Patrick’s Day is regarded as a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montserrat. It is also celebrated worldwide by the people with Irish family roots, mainly in the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
TODAY
This particular festivity usually includes street parades and festivals, céilithe or a traditional Gaelic gathering and the wearing of the green attire with shamrocks. On this day Christians attend service in the church and the eating and drinking alcohol Lenten restrictions do not apply on this day, which is directly linked to the alcohol consumption propaganda on this particular day.
Saint Patrick’s Day is regarded as a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montserrat. It is also celebrated worldwide by the people with Irish family roots, mainly in the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
CONCLUSION
The importance of the legacy of Saint Patrick is unquestionable and his teachings endured throughout time. Unfortunately, we have witnessed many times, the excessive alcohol consumption and the downsides of it. There is nothing wrong in enjoying food and drink on this merry occasion, but we should also focus on the nourishing of the tradition and strengthening of the family bonds on this holiday, rather than turning to excessive drinking and engaging in reckless behavior.
