History of St. Patrick's Day

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This time around, Vanessa and I are planning to make a dessert with St. Patrick's Day as our theme. St. Patrick's Day is a holiday that is celebrated annually on March 17th. Both traditionally and religiously, it was the feast day of St. Patrick and the day that he is believed to have died in 460 A.D. So who is St. Patrick?

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. We do not know much of his life, but we do know that he was born in Britain. We also know that he was captured by Irish raiders when he was 16. Held as captive for six years, he was living as a shepherd in Ireland. During this time period, he became a devout Christian. He was able to escape to Britain and receive religious training. St. Patrick was ordained as a priest after 15 years of studying. He was sent to Ireland to minister the Christians and to convert the Irish to Christianity. However, St. Patrick decided to incorporate Irish ritual and symbols into his teachings. The Celtic cross was born.

         St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in America with the Irish soldiers that served the British army. The first parade took place in New York City. It served as a way for the homesick Irish soldiers to feel more at home with their traditional music. Due to the Great Potato Famine, nearly a million Irish immigrants fled to America over the spanning years. With the increased population of Irish in America, more people attended St. Patrick’s Day parades. This day was a celebration that emphasized patriotism in the past, but today, many celebrate it as a festive holiday.