10:38 A.M.
St. Patrick's Day has always been big in our family.
One thing I would never get stuck with was a pinch on St. Patty�s Day.
My naturally green eyes always seem to save me, but I always manage to walk out of the house wearing green because I would usually catch an eyeful of my mom�s attire before she left for work in the morning.
My mom takes it a little too far. She wears the earrings, the green eye shadow, green shirt, green pants, green �flare� pins, a neck full of tacky green necklaces, green nails, green pants, green socks, and if we are especially lucky, she will even wear green shoes!
My mom's family is all 100% Irish and according to mom, they feel compelled to get totally smashed on this day every year.
I saw that my mom had sent a St. Patrick's Day card to her brother Pat.
I'm pretty sure that if I want to know the history behind the holiday I could ask Pat. Not because he was named after St. Patrick, but he's also one of the most intelligent men I have ever met.
I can not foresee myself actually leaving the house to celebrate this year, given I have strep throat, but I�d still like to do some digging on the subject of St. Patty�s Day.
I surfed the net and this is what I came up with:
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�St Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland. True, he was not a born Irish.
But he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage, mostly through
his service across Ireland of the 5th century.
Patrick was born in the later half of the 4th century AD.
There are differing views about the exact year and place of his birth.
According to one school of opinion, he was born about 390 A.D.,
while the other school says it is about 373 AD. Again, his birthplace
is said to be in either Scotland or Roman England.
His real name was probably Maewyn Succat.
Though Patricius was his Romanicized name,
he was later came to be familiar as Patrick.
Patrick was the son of Calpurnius, a Roman-British army officer.
He was growing up as naturally as other kids in Britain. However, one day
a band of pirates landed in south Wales and kidnapped this boy
along with many others. Then they sold him into slavery in Ireland.
The was there for 6 years, mostly imprisoned.
This was when changes came to him. He dreamed of having seen God.
Legend says, he was then dictated by God to escape with a getaway ship.
Finally, he did escape and went to Britain. And then to France.
There he joined a monastery and studied under St. Germain,
the bishop of Auxerre. He spent around 12 years in training.
And when he became a bishop he dreamed that the Irish were calling him
back to Ireland to tell them about God.
The Confessio, Patrick's spiritual autobiography, is the most important
document regarding this. It tells of a dream after his return to Britain,
in which one Victoricus delivered him a letter headed "The Voice of the Irish."
So he set out for Ireland with the Pope's blessings. There he converted
the Gaelic Irish, who were then mostly Pagans, to Christianity. He was
confident in the Lord, he journeyed far and wide, baptizing and confirming
with untiring zeal. And, in a diplomatic fashion he brought gifts to
a kinglet here and a lawgiver there, but accepted none from any.
Indeed, Patrick was quite successful at winning converts.
Through active preaching, he made important converts even
among the royal families. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids.
Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time.
For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland,
establishing monasteries across the country.
He also set up schools and churches
, which would aid him in his conversion.
He developed a native clergy,
fostered the growth of monasticism,
established dioceses, and held church councils.
Patrick's doctrine is considered orthodox
and has been interpreted as anti-Pelagian.
Although he is not particularly noted as a man of learning,
a few of his writings remain extant:
his Confession, a reply to his detractors, and several letters.
The Lorica ("Breastplate"), a famous hymn attributed to Patrick,
may date to a later period.
By the end of the 7th century Patrick had become a legendary figure,
and the legends have continued to grow since then.
There are many legends associated with St Patrick.
It is said that he used the three-leafed shamrock
to explain the concept of the Trinity;
which refers to the combination of
Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Hence its strong association with his day and name.
Legend also has that,
Saint Patrick had put the curse of God on venomous snakes in Ireland.
And he drove all the snakes into the sea where they drowned.
True, these are mostly legends. But, after some 1500 years,
these legends have been inseparably combined with the facts.
And together they have helped us know
much about the Saint and the spirit behind celebration of the day.
Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for over 20 years.
He died on March 17, AD 461.
That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.
The day's spirit is to celebrate the universal baptization of Ireland.
Though originally a Catholic holy day,
St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.
Or, rather, 'be an Irish Day '.
And the Irish has borne it as part of their national tradition in
everywhere they populated and prospered.
The Catholic feast day for this most loved of Irish saints has become a holiday in celebration of the Irish and Irish culture. The leprechaun, a Celtic fairy, has become entrenched as a chief symbol for this holiday, as is the shamrock, an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit. It is fitting that this holiday should fall at the time of the year when the return of spring begins to seem at hand.�
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So actually this guy St. Patrick was pretty great. Among other challenges, he chased away a bunch of poisonous snakes!
Go Pat!
Next year I�d like to dig a little deeper into my own Irish heritage.
I�ll have to invite some of the cousins down to celebrate at one of these local Irish pubs down the street.
It�s a bummer to think that now that I�ve found these great Irish pubs; I was not able to celebrate in them on the grand holiday they celebrate best.
