The REAL Story of St. Patrick - Can You Handle the Truth?!?!?

It is March 17, so I don my green button-down shirt (and green socks for good measure) and I head out to partake in the celebration we call St. Patrick’s Day. It is a day to patiently wait in long lines for a Guinness (IYKYK, true believer) or a solo cup of green beer. We celebrate Irish culture with frivolity and fun, the wearing of green clothes, and the celebration of all things Irish.

But would it shock you to know that we originally celebrated this day in the Church as a religious feast? I mean, the day IS dedicated to a saint for goodness sake. What do we really know about St. Patrick and why is there a day dedicated to his memory?

Let’s start with who St. Patrick was NOT. He was not a red-headed leprechaun wearing a green suit and large top hat. And he was not Irish. St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th Century. As a teenager he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. He later escaped and returned to Britain. But years later, he answered his religious calling and returned to Ireland.

So, what did St. Patrick do to earn a day in his honor you ask? He is credited with playing a significant role in bringing Christianity to Ireland. He established many churches, monasteries, and schools throughout the island country. A famous legend, which I think is just a good story, is that he drove out all the snakes in Ireland. Most scholars believe that this is a symbolic representation of his efforts to eradicate Paganism by boldly spreading Christianity. Another legend is that he used the shamrock, the symbol of St. Patrick’s Day, to teach people about the Holy Trinity. I can get behind this legend, it sounds like something Jesus would do! St. Patrick died on March 17 around the year 461 AD.

The big question for today is how did this religious feast in the church move down the street into the pubs and bars? Well, I daresay it is an American invention that occurred over the past 150 years or so. The migration of multitudes of Irish people to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries was the primary causation. These Irish immigrants sought ways to maintain their cultural identity and build a sense of community. St. Patrick's Day became a powerful symbol of their heritage. 

Pubs and bars became central to St. Patrick's Day celebrations, providing spaces for social gatherings and revelry. The association of alcohol with the holiday grew, partly due to the lifting of Lenten restrictions on that day, and also through the association of social gatherings within pubs. The social aspect of Irish culture, and the pub serving as a central gathering location, helped to solidify the bar as a location for celebrations. Parades, which became a hallmark of the holiday, originated in the United States, serving as public displays of Irish pride and solidarity.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in cities large and small all over the world. It is said that it’s a day when everyone is Irish! An item on my bucket list is to return to Ireland and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a Dublin cathedral and then down the street at the Temple Bar. And I hope that now you are armed with this new knowledge of St. Patrick, you will raise a toast to a brave follower of Jesus who dedicated his life to sharing the Gospel in an untamed world! Cheers!!!!