Wednesday, March 15, 2000
Wednesday, March 15, 2000 |
| St.
Patrick's Day is a holiday steeped in tradition By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
To some, St. Patrick's Day means wearing designs of shamrocks or lots of green and perhaps even those pins that read “Kiss me, I'm Irish.” For others it is a special excuse to head to a local tavern and enjoy Irish music and beverages. The history of the holiday goes back to fifth century Ireland, though, and is quite reverent. St. Patrick was belived to have been born in Scotland and at the age of 16 was kidnapped and sold in Ireland as a slave. He worked as a shepherd and learned the Irish language, plotting his escape all the while. Eventually, St. Patrick reached the European continent and was ordained first as a deacon, then a priest and finally as a bishop. Pope Celestine sent him back to Ireland to preach the gospel and the legend was born. There are places all over the British isles that are named for St. Patrick. He spoke to people all over the countryside, blessing them and leading them to God. In one speech, he used a shamrock to illustrate the existence of Three in One, having the shamrock symbolize the cross and the blessed trinity. The shamrock was also thought to be a remedy against stings of snakes and scorpions, which is interesting when you consider St. Patrick is credited for driving the snakes out of Ireland. There were probably not any snakes in Ireland since the country broke off from the continent at the end of the ice age, but the action is a symbolic end to pagan practices. St. Patrick then wrote several books in his later years and achieved his sainthood. Today, there are churches all over the world named after him, including the most famous, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Many of the traditions that still exist today can be traced back to the traditons of fifth century Ireland and have been passed on through religious practices. While many people see St. Patrick's Day as a day to get rowdy and intoxicated, the roots of this holiday are in Christianity. And that's no blarney.
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