DAY OF THE GREEN or SAINT PATRICK’S DAY Customs and Traditions The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didnt get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship. Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God many believe it was a way of survival. He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he was key in for teaching the church how to force convert the Pagans to Christianity. Patrick was quite successful at his forced converts of Pagans, given a choice of life or converting. This fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country on ancient Pagan ritual sights he destroyed. His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patricks Day ever since. Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patricks Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated. Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patricks Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit but this symbolism was taken from the Pagans elements of the Goddess: Maiden, Mother and Crone which is much older. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day. The St. Patricks Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patricks Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston. Lady Abigail Copyright © 03171975
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:00:00 +0000