May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you,
Wherever you go.
~ Irish Blessing
Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to take a look at the man himself – Mr. Maewyn Succat, aka St. Patrick.
St. Patrick was a Christian missionary and the Apostle of Ireland. He was born around 385 AD near Dumbarton in Scotland, the son of a Roman nobleman. His real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat; his baptismal name is Patricius. He was just 16 years old when his village was attacked and he was captured. He was sold into slavery in Ireland where he worked as a shepherd. After six years of being beaten and treated poorly, he escaped to Gaul (present day France). He returned to Ireland as a missionary where he is credited for converting the population to Catholicism.
Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.
Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans.
His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.
St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
The color green has been associated with St. Patrick's Day and Ireland for many years, but the truth of the matter is that green was once considered the color most treasured by the faerie folk. Parents wouldn't dare to dress their children in green on St. Patty's day, for fear of attracting the fey. Today, green is one of the colors of the Irish flag, and it is worn with pride.
The shamrock is a symbol often associated with St. Patrick's Day, and has its roots deep in Irish history and culture. It was once considered sacred to the ancient Druids because it had three leaves and three was a sacred number. After St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, the symbol of the shamrock took on a whole new meaning, the three leaves representing the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck. ~Author Unknown
This evening, Dennis and I went to my parent’s house for our family’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Also joining us were my sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Rick; my sister and brother-in-law, Jackie and Steve; and Jackie’s 2 children, Jackson and Madison. While listening to lively Irish music, we enjoyed a dinner of corned beef, cabbage, boiled potatoes and Irish soda bread. Although corned beef did not originate in Ireland, it has been an integral part of Irish-American culture and is often part of North American celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is bacon (more like Canadian bacon than American bacon) and cabbage. Corned beef and cabbage became popular in America after Irish immigrants in the eastern U.S. used corned beef instead of pork in their traditional dish.
May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of St. Patrick behold you.
~ Irish Blessing
