DAY MARCH 17TH
Tstate. his day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.
The celebration started in 1631 when the Church established a Feast Day honouring St. Patrick. He had been Patron Saint of Ireland who had died around the fifth century.
The Shamrock
Perhaps the best-known legend of Saint Patrick involves the shamrock, the little plant that has gone on to become famous throughout the world as a symbol of
Irish heritage.
After training as a priest and bishop, Patrick arrived in
Ireland in 432AD and immediately set about trying to convert the pagan Celts who inhabited the island.
Having previously lived and worked there, he was very probably already aware that the number three held special significance in Celtic tradition (and, indeed, in many pagan beliefs), and he applied this knowledge in a clever way.
He used the shamrock, a three-leaved clover which grows all over the island, to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity i.e. the theory that God the
Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are each separate elements of just one entity.
Banishing the snakes
Probably as famous as the story of the shamrock is the legend of Saint Patrick driving all the snakes of Ireland into the sea where they drowned.
In many images of the saint, Patrick is seen standing on snakes, i.e. conquering snakes. The well-received message is that there are no snakes in Ireland (save those in zoos), and he alone is responsible for this happy
It is, however, very unlikely there were ever any snakes in Ireland! This legend of Saint Patrick is easy to translate- snakes were sacred to the Druids; their banishment reflects St Patrick’s success at removing pagan influence from the island.
Food for the feast
St Patrick’s Day food was special because meat was allowed. For most, this meant pork, cabbage, and
potatoes.
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Beef was simply too costly (and a cow, with its free supply of rich milk, too precious) to feature in the diet of most Irish.
Irish Symbols
A The flag of Ireland, perhaps the single most important emblem of the Republic
The shamrock, probably the most recognised of the symbols of Ireland and perhaps the most loved. The little three-leafed plant has connections to St Patrick and Catholicism, and is a reminder of the country’s green carpet
Hot and dark, with a creamy white head. It can only be Irish coffee
The Irish Celtic Cross. A mixture of pagan worship and
Christianity comes together in this design
Celtic High Crosses are the giants of the Irish countryside, and impressive remnants of antiquity
The traditional Irish ring - the claddagh ring symbolises friendship, love, and loyalty
The Irish harp: on Irish passports, coins and flags (not to mention the logo of a certain famous brand of stout), the wire-stringed harp is the oldest official emblem of Ireland
The sometimes-good, sometimes-evil leprechaun: the little fella has associations with ‘the other side’ and his unpredictability makes him worthy of respect.
So, come March 17th
Join in with everyone else all around the world who are celebrating St Patrick’s Day and the Irish know how to celebrate!
Source: https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com