A Closer Look At St Patrick’s Day Origins

Kelly Walsh - 18 Mar 2022

A Closer Look At St Patrick’s Day OriginsSt Patrick’s Day is a massive event in many regions around the world, consisting of parades, festivals, and general green-tinged merriment. But, as is often the case with modern celebrations, the true origins of St Patrick’s Day are taken for granted. Even by those taking part in the festivities.

Most fascinating is that celebrations take place on March 17th in more countries than with any other festival in the world. The day is a public holiday in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Montserrat. Although not a holiday, celebrations also occur in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. Or, to put it another way, celebrations occur where large enough communities of Irish folk exist, or where the day has been adopted simply out of popular demand. Even China, South Africa and Iceland have gotten involved!

The Original Story

Saint Patrick passed away centuries ago on March 17th. He is recognised as the foremost patron saint of Ireland, having allegedly fully brought Christianity to local Pagans. However, it should be kept in mind that although he passed away centuries ago, the holiday only came about in the early 17th century. The original concept was that a feast be shared in the Christian tradition, with the festival supported by the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican Churches.

Looking more closely at the man himself, his history is widely seen as unclear, exaggerated, or sometimes even a total fabrication. The fact is that much of what is known about his life is taken from the Declaration, a book that he himself wrote. Hence, a tale of a man kidnapped by raiders, taken as a slave, only to find God and escape by mysterious means is questionable. However, the focus of his story is that upon returning to Ireland he converted thousands, which is the origin of the religious aspect of the holiday.

The Story Today

Today the religious aspects of St Patrick’s Day are largely forgotten. Instead, the day is marked by festivals and parades, with the focus being on Irish culture in general. But, importantly, this type of celebration actually originated in North America, then spread back to Ireland itself. In the 18th century the United States fully adopted the tradition, only to then be adopted back in Ireland in the 20th century.

It was soon after that St Patrick’s Day started to go global, with other regions around the world also accepting March 17th as a reason to have widespread merriment. Now “St Paddy’s Day” is celebrated globally with everything from green Guinness to carnival floats full of leprechauns and pots of gold marking the occasion.

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