On March 17th people across the world celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. We eat corned beef and cabbage and go out to the pubs, but how much do most of us actually know about the man we celebrate each year.
Saint Patrick is known as the patron saint to the Irish people because he is the one who brought Christianity to Ireland. According to legend, he used the Shamrock to teach about God. Since the shamrock has three leaves on each stem, Saint Patrick likened the shamrock to the Holy Trinity. He taught that in God there are three divine beings: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The shamrock was sacred to the Druids, so Saint Patrick’s use of it to explain the trinity was very wise.
Another tale about Saint Patrick is that he drove all of the snakes from Ireland. Many versions tell of him standing upon a hill and using a wooden staff to drive the serpents into the sea, banishing them forever. Although it’s true that Ireland has no snakes, this likely had more to do with the fact that Ireland is an island. And because it is separated from the rest of the continent the snakes couldn’t get there. The story of Saint Patrick and the snakes is likely a metaphor for him bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving out pagan religions.
Although it began in Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world. People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities.
(Photo By: Garry Knight)
Comments
Mrs. Larson
March 10th, 2009 - 4:29:41 PM
Nice to hear the Christian traditions of what always seemed like a pagan holiday.
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