By: Sarah Boha
Green attire, leprechauns and beer; modern day Saint
Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be complete without the aforementioned list, but there
are certain facts you may not know about the history of Saint Patrick. Exploring the genesis of this holiday, you may
be surprised that the paraphernalia we hold so dear to Saint Patrick’s Day came
much later into association and stemmed from a much earlier history from what
it has evolved into today’s festivities and celebrations. So before you lift that pint of Guinness to
your lips and sing along to “Danny Boy”, here are a few facts you may not have
known about Saint Patrick and where the holiday originated.
Contrary to popular belief, Saint Patrick was not
Irish. He was born in Britain anywhere
between 350-387A.D. and it is thought that he most likely lived in Wales. Saint Patrick was kidnapped as a teenager and
brought to Ireland where he was sold into slavery. He tended sheep for about 10
years before he escaped back to England. He then sought refuge in a monastery
in Gaul for 12 years; where he became a priest, and later took his teachings
back to Ireland.
Pictured above: Badge of the Order of Saint Patrick
You may picture the patron saint of Ireland to be dressed in
green robes judging by the sea of green you’ll see today; donned by your
coworkers, in the decorations hanging around the office and even in your
beer. What may surprise you is that the
color associated with Saint Patrick was in fact blue. The Order of Saint Patrick was established in
Ireland in 1783 as the highest echelon of chivalry. This order associated themselves with a light
sky blue color. The color green came
much later into association as the color is symbolic of the lustrous green
pastures of Ireland.
Shamrocks. We
wouldn’t have a complete Saint Patrick’s Day without the iconic symbol of the
four leafed clover. But, did you know
that statistically you have a 1 in 10,000 chance of actually finding a clover
with four leafs? I suppose if you find
one, you’re lucky. Saint Patrick himself
preferred the three leaf clover; he used it as an analogy to explain the Holy
Trinity and it is said that he affixed shamrocks to his robes…Ok, I suppose
green has some place in Saint Patrick’s wardrobe; how couldn’t he in the
country called the “Emerald Isle”?
With the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, you may visit
your bar or pub to have a round with your friends. It wasn’t always this way, Saint Patrick’s
Day was a dry holiday set aside as a Christian holiday in Irish law between
1903-1970. All pubs in Ireland were shut
down on Saint Patrick’s Day between the said years until 1970. The modern holiday, as we know it, really
took root in America and flourished in Ireland as a springtime tourism
boost.
All in all, when we hold up our glasses and say an Irish
toast like, “As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never
point in the wrong direction”; thank Maewyn Succat. Maewyn Succat may sound like the name of one
of the pilgrims from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, but Maewyn Succat was Saint
Patrick himself. Saint Patrick’s name
was changed when he joined the church and with it the way we celebrate Irish
heritage forever.
