What is st patricks day really about?

Question

What is it about and why do we celebrate it?

Answer 1

There are some elements of the answer in several of the responses I've seen so far.
St. Patrick was born in the late fourth century in Britain, with the given name of Maewyn Succat (I know, I would have changed it too). When he was a boy, he was kidnapped from his family by Irish barbarians, and taken to Ireland as a slave. Here he grew to have a great love for God, and prayed fervently (though he was not a Christian at the time). When he was 20, he had a vision where God told him to leave Ireland, and that he would find a port with a boat and to get on it. So he got up that morning, and left his masters and did exactly that. He walked across the entire country, where he found a merchant vessel that was leaving, and they allowed him to come aboard.
The ship was blown off course, and shipwrecked in France instead of England. The crew abandoned the ship, and was forced to walk to England. They were starving to death, and the pagan captain told Patrick that if his God was so powerful, he should pray and that God would provide food. So he did. A herd of pigs came over the hill, and nearly the entire crew believed in Patrick's God.
They reached England where Patrick heard the Christian gospel, and accepted Jesus as his savior. He entered the clergy, learning how to preach because he found that he had a desire to help the very people that had enslaved him as a boy.
Once he had finished his training, he went to Ireland, preaching the gospel of Christ. Ireland whole-heartedly embraced the gospel from this man who once was hurt by them, but now came showing them love in return. He was most known for his sermon "God is like a Shamrock" where he explained the Holy Trinity by using the three leaves of a shamrock.

When Pious wrote that Patrick had chased the snakes out of Ireland, he was referring to druidism. There's actually never really been snakes in Ireland. It's too cold. The serpent is one of the major symbols of druidism, and Pious referred to the religion as the snakes.

Today we celebrate St. Patrick on the anniversary of his death, which was March 17, 463ad in honor of the man who was willing to spend his entire life serving people who had shown him nothing but hate, and willing to serve his Creator above all.

Answer 2

St. Patrick's Day – Celebrating the Green
St. Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Once a pagan himself, St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.

The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint's feast day also thought to be the date of the saint's death. In 1737, Irish immigrants to the United States began observing the holiday publicly in Boston and held the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 1766.

Today, the tradition continues with people from all walks and heritages by wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades. St. Patrick's Day is bursting with folklore; from the shamrock to the leprechaun and to pinching those that are not wearing green.

Answer 3

St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.

Answer 4

St Paddy was sort of pagan as he was captured by the Irish.
His dad and grand dad where both in the monastery and when he escaped he returned to his roots and became a priest.

After becoming a priest he returned to Ireland with his catholic back round opened many monasteries.

As a result of this many Irish learned to read via the monastery .

2 ca vets when the Irish learned to read and write they began writing everything down which is how many many books where saved from the dark ages.

Also to some this day celebrates all that is Irish including the freedom from England

Answer 5

It's the day when St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland

Answer 6

Um, I'd have to say 'St. Patrick.' Other answers may include: Pretending you're Irish. Wearing green stuff or getting paralytically drunk.

Answer 7

st. patrick helped teach people to read in ireland threw the bible.. he also drove the snakes out of ireland..

i dont' celebrate as i like snakes and feel like the should not be bannished

Answer 8

Getting pissed on Guiness and doing an Irish jig while dressed in green holding a four leaf clover, shouting top 'o the mornin to ya at the top of your lungs all the while

Answer 9

he led all the snakes out of ireland. it breaks up lent in the christian calendar as does st. joseph on the 15th

Answer 10

donning eco-friendly is precisely a U.S. custom, using fact the colour eco-friendly isn't familiar in eire. eco-friendly is linked to the previous eco-friendly flag and a time whilst eire became no longer loose. eco-friendly is likewise a colour linked with desire and nature. eco-friendly in case you like, yet once you're Irish or have Irish history eco-friendly is unlucky!!!