Was there really a St. Patrick? Definitely. Did he really drive the snakes out of Ireland? Probably not, since snakes weren’t native to Ireland.
St. Patrick was born in Britain as Maewyn Succat. At age 16 (around AD400), he was kidnapped from his home on the west coast and carried off to Ireland to become a slave who worked as a shepherd. After six years, he escaped; upon returning home, he received his call (in a dream) to preach the Gospel. He spent the next 15 or so years in a monastery, preparing for his missionary work. When he became a priest, his name was changed to Patricius, and eventually, Patrick. Although some Christians lived in Ireland at the time, it was Patrick who spread Christianity throughout the land and brought an organized church into existence.
Why do we wear a shamrock? We wear a shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day because, legend says, St. Patrick used its three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity. (The Trinity is the Father, the Son as the Spirit as three divine persons who are one divine being (God).) The truth of the St. Patrick legend, however, is in question as there is no direct record that the saint actually used the shamrock as a teaching tool.
Did you know? Blue was the color originally associated with St. Patrick, however, green is now favored.
St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional day for planting peas.
Cabbage seeds are often planted today, too, and old time farmers believed that to make them grow well, you needed to plant them while wearing your nightclothes! Ha!