We've all heard about St. Patrick's Day. And, many of us simply know that it is an Irish holiday which has something to do with the Irish people celebrating their Irish heritage and Irish culture.
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But: Why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Why is St Patrick's day luck? What did Saint Patrick do?
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Why do we celebrate St Patricks day?
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated to observe the death of St. Patrick - the patron Saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration throughout the US, where people march in Parades, dress in green, eat a whole lotta green foods, indulge in green drinks, and enjoy Irish music.
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Why is St Patrick's day celebrated on March 17th?
March 17th, marks the day when St. Patrick - the Patron saint of Ireland, died in the year 461. He had a poignant history which is itched in the past of Ireland. He was born in Great Britain in the 4th century and was kidnapped when he was just 16 years old. He became a slave of an Irish druid. After he spent several years as a shepherd in Gaelic Ireland, somehow he escaped the slavery.
Then he studied Theology to become a Catholic Priest. He returned to Ireland with a mission - i.e. - to "evangelize the whole country".
To this day this person is known as the "founder of Irish Christianity".
He explained the meaning of "Holy Trinity" with Shamrock and that's how Shamrock became such an important part of St. Patrick's Day celebration.
So, it was in 17th century, the Catholic Church decided to turn Saint Patrick's Day as a religious holiday.
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Why is St Patrick's day luck?
St. Patrick's Day has always been associated with luck. Here are a few symbols of luck and how they came about.
- Shamrock - A shamrock - three leaf clover - is the traditional symbol of Saint Patrick's Day. History says that Saint Patrick depicted Holy Trinity within the clover. When trying to convert Irish into Christianity, St. Patrick used Shamrock as a way to explain the holy trinity - The Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit. The three leaves also stand for - "faith, hope, and love".
- Four Leafed Clover - The four-leafed clover or "lucky clover" is considered a symbol of good luck. The fourth leaf is a mutation and therefore it's very rare. And, since it is not found in abundance as Shamrock therefore it is considered "lucky".
- Pot of Gold - The traditional folklore say that leprechauns hide a pot of gold at the end of the rainbows for mortals to find. Pot of gold literally means abundance, wealth, good fortune. And, therefore Pot of Gold is a symbol of happiness and luck.
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What did Saint Patrick do?
Saint Patrick converted all of Ireland into Christianity. He worked numerous miracles and wrote many books about his love for God. He endured pain and suffering for many years and then traced his way back to Ireland to preach Christianity.
Saint Patrick explained "holy trinity" using Shamrock which is found in abundance in Ireland. Meaning - he showed us - humans/mortals - that God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is around us in abundance in every nook and corner of our life.
He showed us that God loves us and is always beside us in every step of the way.