It’s time to take out your green outfits and your Irish spirit because Saint Patrick’s Day is here! But hey, do you know the story behind this holiday? Or are you just following what other people do? Well, if you don’t know the story, I think it’s storytelling time 😉

A long time ago in the household of a Christian family, a little dude named Patrick was born in the village of Bannavem Taburniae, NOT in Ireland but in England. When he was a teenager, he was kidnapped by some Irish bad guys and kept in captivity for 6 years as a sheepherder in Ireland.

He eventually found his way back to Britain and his family, but Ireland was still in his heart. One fine night in his dreams, an angel told him to go back to Ireland as a missionary. So Patrick, after years of studying hard, became a priest and went back to Ireland where he spread the Christian faith among the pagan population for 40 years. He did this till the day he died on March 17th 461. Years later, he became a legend and a symbol of Irish pride. The End.

I know. So now you must be wondering why the US population is so into this celebration and you might also wonder what shamrocks, leprechauns and parades have to do with this holiday.

So, here are some facts for you:

There are 34.7 Irish descendants living in the United States. That makes them 7 times larger than the population of Irish descendants in Ireland itself. This happened because a lot of Irish migrants arrived to the US after the great potato famine in 1840.

St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity when he was traveling around Ireland. So it later became a symbol of pride, and people started wearing it as part of their clothing.

 

The leprechauns don’t actually have anything to do with St. Patrick’s Day. They only exist popularly because they are part of the Irish culture and stories. Isn’t it funny how leprechauns are the main focus for many during St. Patty’s celebration?

The first St. Patrick Day parade ever registered was in 1762 when a group of Irish soldiers serving the English army marched all the way to a tavern in New York City. Since then, this tradition has become one of the largest St. Patty’s Parade in the world.

Now that you are ready and full of knowledge about all these cultural facts, you can choose your preferred Irish Pub and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a cold green beer in hand. Cheers!

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