St. Patrick's Day celebrates the anniversary of the death of - you guessed it! - St. Patrick, who died on March 17th, 461 - 464, or 493 A.D. (The exact year is up for debate, since accurate historical records were not kept during this period in history, and there is some disagreement between the church and some modern historians.)

Before the parades, beer drinking, and green apparel, St. Patrick's day was a religious holiday that commemorated the patron saint of Ireland. Born a pagan and held for six years in Ireland as a slave, St. Patrick converted to Christianity and studied in Gaul under the tutelage of St. Germain. During his time there, he realized that his calling was to convert the Irish Celtic druids. Upon his return to Ireland, he successfully set up churches and schools and indeed won many converts to his faith.

Popular Irish folklore says that among his miracles, St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland with one of his sermons. Most people believe that, since no snakes are actually native to Ireland, that the snakes in the legend are actually meant to represent the pagan Druids.

The association of shamrocks and St. Patrick's Day comes from St. Patrick's teaching of the Holy Trinity; he used the three-leafed plant to explain how the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were really one god. This (originally) religious symbol is still part of the secular holiday to this day.

St. Patrick's Day only became a public holiday in Ireland in 1903; however, Irish emigrants have been celebrating the holiday for centuries. The first public, civic celebration of the holiday in colonial America took place in 1737 in Boston. Irish garrisons in Montreal celebrated as far back as 1759, though St. Patrick's Day is not a national holiday in Canada.Today, an estimated 70 million people worldwide can claim Irish heritage, and St. Patrick's Day festivities are held around the world to celebrate all things Irish.

Slainte, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Learn more about this author, Erin St John.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about History of Saint Patrick's Day?
We want to hear your view. Write now!