Saint Patrick's Day

A holiday honoring Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is celebrated annually on March 17, his feast day.

 Saint Patrick was a missionary in the 5th century AD who is credited with converting

Ireland to Christianity.  It is also celebrated by people of Irish descent in many other

  countries, especially by Irish Americans in the United States. One popular St.

Patrick's Day tradition is wearing green clothing. Green, the national color of

  Ireland, symbolizes the island's lush landscape. The main symbol associated with

the holiday is the , shamrock, a small three-leafed clover or clover-like plant.

According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock, because of its three leaves,

to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. The shamrock is

 now the national emblem of Ireland.

The shamrock Irish Seamrog, "little clover", common name for any of several trifoliate clovers native to Ireland.  Most shamrocks, particularly the small leaved white clover, have been considered by the Irish as good-luck symbols since earliest times, and this superstition has persisted in modern times among people of many nationalities. Shamrocks or various representations of the plant are worn by celebrants on Saint Patrick's Day.

Saint Patrick

 (389?-461?)

Called the Apostle of Ireland, Christian prelate. His birthplace is uncertain, but

 it was probably in southwestern Britain; his British name was Succat. At 16 years

 of age he was carried off by Irish marauders and passed his captivity as a herdsman

 near the mountain Slemish in county Antrim (according to tradition) or in

 county Connacht. The young herdsman saw visions in which he was urged to

 escape, and after six years of slavery he did so, to the northern coast of Gaul.

Ordained a priest, possibly by Saint Germanus, at Auxerre, he returned to Ireland.

Sometime after 431, Patrick was appointed successor to St. Palladius,

first bishop of Ireland.  

Information obtained at Encarta.com

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Updated on June, 21, 2006

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