2008 Woodie Awards
Origins of St. Patrick's Day Holiday Traditions
Nancy Sanchez
Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: Life
- Page 1 of 1
It's that time of the year again where wee ones get pinched if they do not don the green, and when adults have a fine time drinking and listening to Irish music.
St. Patrick's Day is here bringing with it tales of leprechauns, shamrocks, and sounds of Irish tunes.
The holiday is based on a real person who was born around 385 AD in Britain. It is believed that his real name was Maewyn Succat, but after his baptism he was named Patricius.
When he was 16 years old, Patrick was taken prisoner by Irish raiders who attacked his home. They took him to Ireland where he was held in captivity for six years. During his captivity, he worked as a shepherd boy, afar from society. After his escape from his captives, he fled to Britain.
After Patricius was ordained a priest, he was sent to convert the Irish to Catholicism. Patricius a.k.a. Patrick died on March 17 in 461 AD.
March 17 used to be a religious holiday for the Irish. Now St. Patrick's Day is more of a secular holiday where even the Irish use it e to gain more tourism.
One of the things associated with St. Patrick's Day is the clover or shamrock. Patrick used the three-leaf clover to represent the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. With a four-leaf clover, the fourth leaf represents God's Grace. Another way the four-leaf clover can be interpreted is Hope, Love, Faith, and Luck.
The wee folks, or leprechauns, are also associated with St. Patrick's Day.
These characters had an original Irish name, "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow."
The leprechauns, who were first known as cankerous little characters, had nothing to do with the holiday, but instead, a cheerful, friendly leprechaun was brought about by a 1959 Disney movie called "Darby O'Gill & the Little People."
Now, American culture has adopted the little characters as symbols for the holiday and Ireland in general.
Another part of the St. Patrick's Day traditions is the pinching.
It started with Irish children. During St. Patrick's Day, the Irish would wear green to pay tribute to their native country.
Irish children started the custom of pinching people who did not wear anything green.
St. Patrick's Day is a fun holiday, but is important to remember that it is a religious holiday for some people because it was St. Patrick who converted the Ireland population to Catholicism.
St. Patrick's Day is here bringing with it tales of leprechauns, shamrocks, and sounds of Irish tunes.
The holiday is based on a real person who was born around 385 AD in Britain. It is believed that his real name was Maewyn Succat, but after his baptism he was named Patricius.
When he was 16 years old, Patrick was taken prisoner by Irish raiders who attacked his home. They took him to Ireland where he was held in captivity for six years. During his captivity, he worked as a shepherd boy, afar from society. After his escape from his captives, he fled to Britain.
After Patricius was ordained a priest, he was sent to convert the Irish to Catholicism. Patricius a.k.a. Patrick died on March 17 in 461 AD.
March 17 used to be a religious holiday for the Irish. Now St. Patrick's Day is more of a secular holiday where even the Irish use it e to gain more tourism.
One of the things associated with St. Patrick's Day is the clover or shamrock. Patrick used the three-leaf clover to represent the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. With a four-leaf clover, the fourth leaf represents God's Grace. Another way the four-leaf clover can be interpreted is Hope, Love, Faith, and Luck.
The wee folks, or leprechauns, are also associated with St. Patrick's Day.
These characters had an original Irish name, "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow."
The leprechauns, who were first known as cankerous little characters, had nothing to do with the holiday, but instead, a cheerful, friendly leprechaun was brought about by a 1959 Disney movie called "Darby O'Gill & the Little People."
Now, American culture has adopted the little characters as symbols for the holiday and Ireland in general.
Another part of the St. Patrick's Day traditions is the pinching.
It started with Irish children. During St. Patrick's Day, the Irish would wear green to pay tribute to their native country.
Irish children started the custom of pinching people who did not wear anything green.
St. Patrick's Day is a fun holiday, but is important to remember that it is a religious holiday for some people because it was St. Patrick who converted the Ireland population to Catholicism.