Who Was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick are false, the product of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century and he is believed to have died on March 17 around 460 AD. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he was held captive for 6 years. During this time, lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for comfort, becoming a devout Christian.

According to his writing, a voice, which he believed to be God's, told him in a dream that it was time to escape and leave Ireland. After escaping back to Britain, Patrick began his religious training and fifteen years later, was ordained a priest. He was sent back to Ireland on a mission to begin to convert the Irish to Christianity as well as to also administer to those who were all ready Christians living in Ireland.

Familiar with the Irish tradition and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional rituals into his lessons instead of trying to change native Irish beliefs. For instance, he superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now known as the Celtic cross so that the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish.

The Irish culture has centered around a rich tradition of legend and myth so it is no surprise that the story of St. Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries, spinning exciting tales to remember their Irish way of life and of their history.

When I think back on my own St. Patricks Day memories, my most favorite would have to be that of March 17, 2000. I was with my boy, Weston, and we were right outside of Washington DC, in the city of Alexandria. I was living back there and Weston had just flown in so we found a local pub to enjoy the festivities. Oddly enough, I had never had the infamous "green" beer so I partook :) and later regretted it. It made me sooooooo sick and my poor Weston took care of me all night but I truly felt sorry for the cleaning ladies who had to clean up our hotel room mess! :( It was a fun night full of great music and the ability to participate in some great traditions! I have always wished for my own family to have had some type of strong tradition and heritage but the English and German have over time been forgotten about. :( That is one reason why I try so hard to create some new traditions that my kids will hopefully, not ever forget about!

Happy St. Patricks Day!