By Eric VanLieshout
Do you know why millions of people all over the world will be drinking Guinness, wearing green clothes and shamrock-adorned costume jewelry? To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day and everything Irish! And to celebrate the legacy and memory of someone assumedly named saint Patrick who was some Irish fellow who did saint stuff of some sort a long time ago (something like that). Where did this unique holiday come from exactly?
It all began in the 4th-century A.D., with an Anglo-Roman Christian missionary named Patrick. Although not the first Christian missionary to the island, he succeeded in bringing the Christian faith to prominence in Ireland during the fourth-century. The significance and prevalence of the Shamrock in the holiday’s festivities stems from Saint Patrick’s use of the 3-leaf clover to illustrate the Holy Trinity for the pagan Irish. Today, Saint Patrick is revered as the patron saint of Ireland.
Additionally, he is often credited with driving all the snakes out of Ireland, but it is doubtful that there were ever snakes in to begin with.
Little more is known about Saint Patrick, although he left behind two written works dealing with his spiritual life and times on the Emerald Isle. As Christianity came to prominence, the Vatican chose to venerate Saint Patrick with a feast on March 17, the supposed date of his death. For the purposes of this feast, the Vatican suspends lent, allowing those celebrating St. Patrick’s Day to indulge without penalty in the food and drink given up for lent. To this day, Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday for many Christians, celebrating renewal and rebirth.
Today, Saint Patrick’s Day has also become a more secular celebration of Ireland and Irish culture. The holiday is celebrated worldwide with parades, festivities, green and orange, and Irish drinks and food. The city of Chicago even dies the Chicago River green.
So how will you celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day? Brian O’Connell, University Budget Office, says, “Being Irish, I have to eat corned beef and cabbage and if a Guinness happens by me, I won’t turn it down.” Sounds like a plan to me!