Hello all! It is Thursday again and that means another hot topic. Since tomorrow is St. Patrick’s day I thought I would share three facts with you all about the man himself. If you didn’t know I am Roman Catholic and we tend to take our saints seriously. I learned all of the saints when I was younger so I am full of useless information about them.
He wasn’t Irish!
He was actually captured by Irish pirates when he was about 16 from his home in Britain. He served as a slave in Ireland looking after animals for six years before he escaped and returned home. He returned to Ireland after becoming a cleric. He died on March 17, 461 AD.
There are plenty of Legends About Him
One legend about him says that he used the shamrock to demonstrate the Holy Trinity. It would make more sense than the hope, love, and whatever one. I could see someone getting the shamrock tradition started using it as a faith teaching tool (and side note about the shamrock…it’s not Ireland’s symbol either.) While another says he is the reason for the absence of snakes in Ireland. He supposedly banished them.
His color isn’t green
Nope not even a little green. In fact his color is blue. Every picture depicts St. Patrick in blue vestments. In fact King Henry VIII even used a blue flag with an Irish harp in gold to represent the country. Green didn’t come in until later most likely because of how green Ireland is.
Now you know three things about St. Patrick, his life, and the country he so connected with that you may not have known already. He is one of the popular saints yet few people take the time to learn his story.
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I’m Catholic also but didn’t get a great background in the Saints. Thank for sharing these things; I didn’t know them. I definitely need to read more about the Saints.
How funny! My dad was 100% Irish, but died when I was four. We grew up celebrating St Patrick’s Day but I never knew most of this! I knew he wasn’t Irish and about the snake folklore. Very cool info! Thanks!
thanks for the info. Ive always wondered how this day got so big in our country when most ppl dont know why its celebrated. he was definitely an interesting man
Very interesting
I’m familiar with the legend of St Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, especially since Ireland didn’t have any snakes. It seems strange that Ireland is so intertwined with the shamrock, and yet it’s not their symbol either. Thanks for all the information, it helps learning new things 🙂