St. Patrick's Day is a traditional Irish holiday celebrated all over the world. Why is it so popular and what does it mean? Guide Online explains the meaning of St. Patrick's Day, how it should be celebrated, what traditions it has, and what can be given to relatives and friends on this day.
When is St. Patrick's Day in 2024?
St. Patrick's Day in Ireland and other countries of the world is celebrated annually on March 17. This is due to the fact that the preacher died on March 17, 461 (the year is not known for sure). As an official Christian holiday (for Catholics and Protestants), St. Patrick's Day was proclaimed in the 17th century.
What is the meaning of St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's Day commemorates the preacher (real name Mavin Sukkat). who converted the population of Ireland to the Christian faith in the 5th century. Thus, this holiday symbolizes the adoption of Christianity in Ireland. It is believed that St. Patrick is not only the patron saint of this country, but also the founder of Irish literature. In the sense that before him, all folk stories, parables and legends were transmitted exclusively by word of mouth, and he wrote them down, since, like the vast majority of priests of that time, he was educated to read.
What is Saint Patrick known for?
The main source of information about the saint is his autobiographical work "Confession", written, like most literature of that time, in Latin. It was in it that the main accomplishments and actions of St. Patrick were described. Among which the following are particularly interesting:
Conflict with the druids. Local druids actively resisted Patrick's activities, using both classical methods of struggle, such as poison or assassination, as well as supernatural ones. But St. Patrick successfully avoided death each time through prayer and faith.
A contract with an angel. It is believed that towards the end of the saint's famous forty-day fast, an angel came to him asking him to "stop it", as he still had much to do for the good of Ireland. Patrick began to argue with him, as a result he "bargained" a promise that 7 years before the "end of the world" Ireland would peacefully sink to the bottom of the ocean, and all Irish people would be personally judged by Patrick at the "Doomsday".
The first Irish bell. A real historical artifact created by Patrick's students according to his will. It is considered one of the first Christian bells in Europe. Small - 2 kg, 20 cm high.
Patrick's apples. A real variety of apples that, according to legend, St. Patrick brought to Ireland and took care of them himself. It is interesting that the apples practically do not soften during baking, remaining pleasantly hard. Therefore, apple pie is another traditional dish associated with the holiday.
How long is St. Patrick's Day?
The holiday lasts 5 days, but the main procession and loudest festivities take place on March 17.
How is Saint Patrick's Day celebrated?
The main Christian tradition of St. Patrick's Day is the ascent of pilgrims to the mountain Croagh Patric, which is located in western Ireland. Legends testify that it was here that the saint prayed and kept a strict fast for 40 days, and dark forces prevented him in every way. In the end, the saint drove all the demons into a cave on the mountain, where they are still imprisoned. Along with the devils, by the way, he also banished snakes from the "Green Island" for company.
Another tradition of this holiday is the arrangement of long parades, in which many people dressed in extravagant costumes, as well as brass bands playing the famous Irish bagpipes, take part. At the same time, the majority of those present wear green clothes. However, it is officially considered that the colors of the holiday are also white and orange.
In many other countries, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on a slightly smaller scale. People usually gather in pubs, which host themed parties with beer, whiskey, dancing and live music. Everyone who wants to join Irish culture can take part in them.
This holiday is quite common in the USA, as it is there that a large number of migrants from Ireland live. So, for example, in Chicago on St. Patrick's Day, the water of the city's main river is dyed in the color of the holiday - green. This day is also actively celebrated in Argentina, Great Britain, Japan, Switzerland - wherever there is an Irish diaspora.
A few weeks before the holiday, stores start selling souvenirs, green T-shirts with witty inscriptions, and green top hats. Even food began to be painted green, such as cookies covered with green glaze.
What to give for St. Patrick's Day?
You can give anything to friends, relatives or acquaintances on St. Patrick's Day, the main thing is that they are at least partially green. It can be a handbag, clothes, thermal mug, top hat. Another symbol of the holiday can also be depicted on gifts - a three-leaf clover. Clover symbolizes the trinity of the Christian faith - God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
And according to legend, it was on the example of a clover leaf, a plant that was considered sacred by the local druids, that Patrick explained to the local residents the very concept of "trinity". Perhaps that is why he was successful in Christianizing the country - because he managed to learn local traditions while he was a slave. And how successful he was - it is believed that under him more than 300 churches were founded and more than 120 thousand people were converted to the new faith.
How to say Happy St. Patrick's Day?
If you want to wish someone a happy St. Patrick's Day, the most correct Irish greeting is Gaelic.
It reads: "Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!", which translates to "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"
The Irish often shorten the expression to "Lá 'le Pádraig". It should be pronounced like this: "la le padrig san guitch".
Why is St. Patrick green?
St. Patrick's Day is associated with the color green thanks to its main symbol - the shamrock (clover). The green color symbolizes life and the victory of spring over winter. It is worth noting that until the end of the 13th century, the color associated with Patrick was blue. The color changed to green during the 1798 rebellion, when Irish soldiers wore green uniforms to attract attention.
Why is the leprechaun the symbol of St. Patrick's Day?
The leprechaun became a symbol of St. Patrick's Day quite recently - several decades ago. This happened for quite prosaic reasons - companies producing postcards and other souvenirs needed to find a funny fairy-tale creature whose image would decorate holiday products (St. Patrick himself was too serious for this role). As a result, this character was chosen.
The leprechaun is a fairy-tale character from Irish mythology. He looks like a stocky dwarf with a red beard and a bad temper. His essential attributes are a green suit and a green top hat, as well as a bag of gold. It is believed that the Leprechaun is a wizard, and if he is caught, he will show the way to the place where the treasures are hidden.
What do you eat and drink on St. Patrick's Day?
The traditional St. Patrick's Day drink is ale, a type of English and Irish beer. According to tradition, special herbs are often added to beer, which give it a green color. Nowadays, food dyes are used more often.
Another drink that is used on this day is whiskey. Before drinking it, you need to put a shamrock in the glass - it is believed that this way you can attract success and luck.
The St. Patrick's Day menu has never been rigidly "regulated" anywhere. The choice of dishes was determined by seasonality, availability, the realities of life in a country with an island climate, and the personal preferences of residents of a certain region.
In most cases, such traditional Irish dishes are served as an appetizer for beer and whiskey - meat stew with veal, stewed beef in beer, mashed potatoes (champ), chicken pie, Irish soda bread, potato fritters (boks).
What is the St. Patrick's Day dance called?
A group Irish dance performed during St. Patrick's Day is called a "cailey." It is characterized by complex "lining up" in a row or circle and active leg movements. The dance is performed by groups of 4-16 people. The number of participants may be larger.
St. Patrick's Day Dance - video
Interesting facts about St. Patrick's Day
Although St. Patrick's Day often falls on Lent , many people eat meat on this day. There is a belief that on the holiday of St. Patrick, he turns all meat into fish. However, for this, the meat must be completely covered with water, which can be successfully replaced with ale. So beef stewed in beer suddenly becomes a song. But only this day.
In 1903, St. Patrick's Day became an official holiday in Ireland.
Patrick was born in Roman Britain, but when he was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish outlaws and taken to Ireland as a slave. Therefore, he is probably the only native Briton who is loved, appreciated and respected by absolutely all Irish people.
On St. Patrick's Day, many countries organize parties with music and alcohol, although in 1903 a law was passed, according to which all bars and pubs had to be closed on March 17. This is how they fought against excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages by citizens (the law was repealed in the 1970s).
Despite the fact that the holiday is religious, its motto is the word - Craic, which translates as "fun and enjoyment".
The Irish began to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday back in the X-XI centuries, and not only on the territory of Ireland, but also in other European countries where there was an Irish diaspora.
Saint Patrick is also the patron saint of Nigeria. This fact is explained by the fact that many missionaries from Ireland worked in Nigeria.
Conclusion
For residents of Ukraine, St. Patrick's Day is just another reason to have at least a little fun. Yes, we can't organize parades yet, as well as sit in bars all night, but it's still a good reason to meet up with friends and relax a little in good company. So Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!
