Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Here’s what the holiday is all about | Global News Avenue

although St. Patrick’s Day The celebration often produces images of T-shirts, wearing “Kiss Me, I’m Irish”, Leprechaun hats and a bar filled with people, and the holidays have a deeper meaning.

Here is who the patron saint of Ireland is and why he celebrates him every year.

When will we start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

The first history of the carnival St. Patrick Sarah Waidler, visiting assistant professor of Irish Language, Literature and Culture at NYU, told CBS News that he told CBS News. But, she said, people may have begun to respect him before that.

During the Middle Ages, the text showed that not only people believed that St. Patrick was a saint, but also that he was part of the final judgment of God on the Irish people after his death. Wedler said Patrick became “strongly identified” with Ireland over the years and would be one of its three patron saints, as well as St. Brigid and St. Columba.

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade currently recorded St. Augustine, FloridaHistorians say that in 1601. As some might assume, it is not on Emerald Island.

“The march is a hug for Irish diaspora,” said Elizabeth Stack, executive director of the American Irish Historical Society in New York City, especially when she said it was against Catholics.

Through the parade, the Irish community said, “Yes, we are proud of our heritage and roots,” she said, “but we are also a very active part of modern cities or modern America.”

It’s also a gentle reminder, she said, “There are a lot of powers that we can use if we choose to vote as a barrier.”

according to US Census31.5 million Americans, accounting for 9.5% of the population, claiming to be in 2021. In 2023, Ireland’s population is 5.3 million. “We have more people leaving the country and staying there,” Stark said.

Who is St. Patrick?

This may surprise some people, but St. Patrick isn’t actually Irish. “The patron saint of Ireland is actually Welsh,” Cian T. McMahon, an expert on the Modern Irish and Irish diaspora and the University of Nevada Irish diaspora told CBS News.

“In England, Scotland and Wales, that was Rome,” he said. So Patrick was born in what is now Wales, but at that time it was Rome, England.

Wedler said that much of historians’ knowledge of St. Patrick comes from two of his own books, which is fortunate. These two works may have been written in the 5th century, but Patrick did not date or gave a lot of historical context. Therefore, historians are not sure when he will live.

However, according to these works, Patrick said he was captured by Roman British slaves at the age of 16, and in McMahon’s words, he was a “not hot” Catholic. ”

The slaves brought Patrick to Ireland and he said he was a shepherd. This difficulty helped him rediscover his faith, and six years later he fled to England, attributed his release to God’s writings. According to his writings, after escaping, he spent many years training to become a bishop.

Wedler said it was hard to say whether Patrick was actually recognized as bishop because there was no other historical text supporting the claim.

It is said that after he became bishop, Patrick said that under a vision, he heard the voice of an Irish fisherman calling him back to his former enslaved country. He then returned to the Irish state of the Celtic pagan country and transformed people into Catholicism.

St. Patrick died on March 17 and was recognized by the church. Wedler said it was hard to know the exact year.

Many later writers pointed out that Patrick’s story was very similar to Moses in the Bible.

Stark said he could have taken revenge or looked down at the people who had put him in bondage after he was kidnapped into slavery. But he decided to forgive the Irish.

In doing so, she said he “changed Ireland forever, transforming a pagan country into a strong Catholic.” Stack said St. Patrick’s “beautiful message” of tolerance and forgiveness became increasingly relevant. ”

In modern times, many people know the legend of St. Patrick riding a snake, who taught the idea of ​​the Trinity by using a clover.

Waidler said the story of expelling toxic creatures or reptiles to St. Patrick began in the 12th century. However, some later writers viewed the expulsion of the snake as a metaphor for the pagans. “This story has been repeated after the 12th century and has also appeared in early images of the saints,” she said.

“Clover is hard to track,” Wedler said. The term clover first appeared in 1571, but was originally St. Patrick in 1726’s paper on native plants in Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day was also once related to blue. But as other countries began to celebrate it in a more modern time, Green is associated with the day because Irish Americans attribute green to “all things in Ireland.”

Where is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated?

“The better question is where there is no celebration,” McMahon said.

He said that large-scale migration has been a decisive feature of Irish life since the early 1700s. “Whether the Irish eventually settles, they will use St. Patrick’s Day as a way to keep themselves at home.”

“We can be Irish anywhere in the world,” he said.

Stark said the Irish people have immigrated to “every corner of the world.” Dubai, Singapore, Australia, the United States and more celebrate the saints.

McMahon explained: “The Irish meant to welcome non-Irish people to St. Patrick’s Day.”

Even George Washington is an Anglican Christian and a member of the friendly son of St. Patrick, Philadelphia. McMahon said the reason was: “We were born Irish, but became American… Why couldn’t Washington be born in America, but became Irish?”

McMahon said Ireland’s leaders also tend to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in other countries. He explained that this is because his government recognizes that this day is an opportunity to reconnect with friends and allies around the world.

Irish Prime Minister or Doysah Michelle Martinvisited the White House on March 12 to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year.

according to Ireland’s website“Our diaspora promotes goodwill. It produces economic development. It cherishes and demonstrates our diverse and vibrant culture.”

Therefore, the common phrase “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” may make some sense about this.