Every year on March 17th, people pretend they're Irish! People dress in green, drink Irish beer, dance to Celtic music and try to have as much fun as possible. They put on all sorts of funny things like leprechaun hats and green bowties. Parades are held throughout North America, and in Chicago they dye the Chicago river green!
It is, quite possibly, the least religious day of the year even though it is named for a Catholic saint! Originally, it was a religious holiday in Ireland, the feast day to celebrate Saint Patrick, and it is still an official public holiday in that country. In North America, it became a day to celebrate Ireland and all things Irish among the many new Irish immigrants. In fact, the very first St. Patrick’s day parade was held in the U.S. – not Ireland!
The main symbol of St. Patrick's day is the green shamrock – it is said that St. Patrick used the 3 points of the leaf to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish and convert them to Christianity. It's considered good luck if you find a four-leaf clover – some say the 4 points represent hope, faith, love and luck, others think the rare 4th leaf represents God's grace!
Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick is the patron saint (a saint who is believed to be a protector of a country or a group of people) of Ireland. No one knows the exact date he was born, but it is believed he lived in the 5th century and died on March 17th, the day now celebrated as his feast day.
He was born in Britain during the Roman era. When he was 16 years old he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland, where he was kept for 6 years as a slave. He became a devout Christian during his captivity, and he was able to escape after he believed God had spoken to him and told him it was time to leave. When he arrived in England, he had a second revelation when an angel appeared in his dream and told him to return to Ireland as a missionary.
He eventually became a priest and returned to Ireland to convert the inhabitants to Christianity. Although there were already a small number of Christians when he arrived, he is widely credited with introducing Christianity to Ireland.
