Parenting Network

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day has been and gone (March 17) and I’m sure everyone saw people (or was one of those people) dressed up in their green attire in the hope of resembling a leprechaun. But do you actually know the story of Saint Patrick?

I am a recently landed Irish immigrant living in Canada. I’m working with Parenting Network and they asked me to share with you our story.

Saint Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland and is credited with establishing 300 churches in Ireland and of having converted most of the population to Christianity. Patrick was born in Great Britain to a wealthy Alderman and Christian. At 16, Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his captivity as a shepherd, he dedicated himself to his religion.

He managed to escape captivity six years later and returned to England.

He then believed that it was his responsibility to bring Christianity to the Irish, and did so.

The legends about Saint Patrick are what most people associate with St. Patrick’s Day. It is said he used the shamrock to explain the concept of the holy trinity to the Irish. Showing them the three leafed clover he explained that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were three parts of the same divinity. Many people believe this is how shamrocks came to be identified with St. Patrick as well as Ireland, becoming its national symbol.

A popular folk tale has Patrick driving all of the snakes out of Ireland and into the ocean. Some versions of the legend depict Patrick doing this after a sermon or after fasting for 40 days. It’s true that Ireland was snake-free, but sorry it’s likely because of the Ice Age.

People commonly wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day, either in honor of Irish culture generally or because they themselves have Irish heritage. Sometimes, people even colour their beer green.

I hope you all had a great St. Patrick’s Day! I certainly raised a glass of green beer in honour of the occasion.