A Celebration of Women
Wishes all the Women of Our World
“HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY…!”
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, on the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for more than a thousand years. Many other countries celebrate it as well.
On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate the holiday in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against eating meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage; which has 
today come to be corned beef and cabbage. St. Patrick was born in Britain near the end of the fourth century. He died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been said that he took on the role because of tax incentives. There is little evidence that proves Patrick came from a particularly religious family. When he was sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They took him to Ireland where they held him captive. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Turning to his religion for solace, Patrick became a devout Christian.
After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. It is said he heard the voice of God speaking to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After he escaped to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation; that he was told by an angel in a dream to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training that was to last more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish.
St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated in modern times with a parade. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, in addition to fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.
Each year, nearly three million people line the 1.5-mile parade route in New York City to watch the procession,. The parade can last more than 5 hours. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades involving anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 participants.
@ Kimberly Ripley
ST. PATRICK EVENTS around the World: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/
ABOUT ST. PATRICK: Considered the Patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick was actually from Britain. Kidnapped as a young man by Irish marauders and sold into slavery in Ireland, he spent his six years in captivity studying the Christian religion. Once he had escaped, he went into a monastery for twelve years, continuing his studies. He returned to Ireland and began to raise monasteries all across the land. The Druids, feeling threatened by the new relgion, did everything in their power to stop St. Patrick, and he spent many a night in prison.
It is said today that he drove the snakes from Ireland, but it is a little known fact that there are no snakes native to Ireland, and this is likely symbolic of him driving the old pagan religions out of the land.
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Patrick
