Shamrocks, snakes, and green beer: what St. Patrick's Day means to the Irish and how they celebrate it

March 17 - Ireland celebrated St. Patrick's Day, which is considered to be the patron saint of this country. In fact, this holiday has long since gained international status and lost its original religious meaning.

News Bytes writes: "St. Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in the United States and other countries. In this article, we will tell you about the significance of this day for Ireland and the history of its origin."

What is St. Patrick famous for?

St. Patrick was born in Britain during the reign of the Roman Empire. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by robbers and brought to Ireland as a slave. There, Patrick was tending sheep, and according to his memoirs, he had a vision that helped him escape and reach his home.

Patrick returned to Ireland in 432 AD, a convinced Christian. He devoted the rest of his life to missionary work, founding churches, monasteries, and schools.

The saint died on March 17, 461 AD, having performed many miracles and before that expelled all the snakes from Ireland with the help of a shamrock. The exact place of burial of St. Patrick is unknown, but it is believed to be the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Downpatrick.

St. Patrick's Day is the day of Ireland

In addition to commemorating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, this day is also considered an international holiday of all things Irish.

Therefore, on March 17, it is customary to attend church services to celebrate the numerous sacrifices, ideologies, teachings, and deeds of the saint and, of course, to feast noisily.

How do people celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

People wear green clothes, participate in parades and festivities. In addition, you should eat green food and drink green beer. In the United States, they even dye the water in the Chicago River green every year.

An age-old custom also says to drown a shamrock in a cup filled with beer, whiskey, or cider. It is then drunk as a toast to the saint.

Why is everything green on this day?

Until 1641, the color of St. Patrick's Day was blue. Everything changed after the start of the Great Irish Rebellion against the British.

The Irish flag was green, as was the shamrock, which was considered a symbol of this country. Thus, the holiday changed its color, and this tradition has survived to this day.