A world turned green: The history of St. Patrick’s Day
It’s not easy being green.
But, for a country who has known little but severe, religious-inspired conflict over the past few decades, St. Patrick’s Day green is just what the doctor ordered.
Falling every year on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day takes place during the Catholic tradition of Lent and has been celebrated by the Irish for well-over a thousand years – ever since the death of St. Patrick toward the end of the 5th century.
Although he is the patron saint of Ireland and one of the most famous evangelists in Christian history, St. Patrick’s life remains shrouded in mystery. His accomplishments are also surrounded by many unfounded legends, including an account that claimed St. Patrick cast out all the snakes from Ireland.
According to www.historychannel.com, Patrick was born in Britain (probably Wales) to wealthy parents and was christened as Maewyn. Although his father was a deacon in the Catholic church, young Maewyn remained aloof from religion until, at the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a servant in Ireland.
While living as a shepherd, Maewyn began to search for God, a religious quest that eventually led him to change his name to Patricus (or Patrick – a more Christian sounding name) and undertake a 30-year mission to “rescue” the pagan people of Ireland. After his ministry, Patrick moved to County where he died on March 17 (A.D. 460).
Today, St. Patrick’s Day is filled with colorful traditions and is celebrated outside of Ireland, mainly in the United States, Canada and Australia. More recent times have also seen rise of celebrations in other parts of the world such as Japan, Singapore and Russia.
Because of the festive nature of Irish celebrations, Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat are waived for the day and participants dance, drink and feast on the traditional Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage.
A traditional icon of the holiday, the shamrock, came about through its use by St. Patrick during some of his sermons. According to wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm, “he used it … to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity.”
Many of the other icons associated with the holiday came about through its practice in the United States which began in Boston around 1737. For example, the association of Irish faeries (leprechauns) with St. Patrick’s Day and wearing the color green to avoid getting pinched also began in the United States. Actually, according to www.hylit.com/info/StPatrick/Symbols.html, the original color of St. Patrick’s day wasn’t green, but blue.
Following the Great Potato Famine in 1845, almost a million Catholic Irishmen came to America to escape starvation. Through their steady observance, St. Patrick’s Day became an important part of American Culture.
Embodying our national acceptance, President Bush released the following message Tuesday afternoon:
“I send greetings to those celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
“On March 17, we honor the remarkable life of Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. He helped bring Christianity to the Irish people. His generosity and love of liberty shaped Ireland’s history and culture, and through generations of immigrants, those values have helped shape America.
“We are grateful for the many ways Irish-Americans have blessed our country. They have helped to expand our economy, create our communities and defend our homeland. Through their public service, they have strengthened our democracy, and their dedication to faith and family has enriched our nation’s character.
“Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a happy St. Patrick’s Day.”
-mattgo@cc.usu.edu