Mar 3

Mar 3 Saint Patrick's Day

More than just wearing green and drinking Guinness,
St Patrick's Day is a holiday rich in history and tradition.

Saint Patrick's Day History and Party Inspiration

St Patrick’s Day is traditionally a cultural and religious celebration held each year on March 17th – the anniversary of the death of the foremost patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick.

Who was Saint Patrick?

St Patrick was the son of a deacon and born in Roman Britain in around 395 AD. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped, enslaved and sent to Ireland to work tending sheep. After four years, he was able to escape his captors following a dream where God told him to flee to the coast. There, he was told and later found, a ship that would return him to Roman Britain.

After returning to Roman Britain, St. Patrick has a second dream which featured the people of Ireland begging him to come back to them. He responded to this dream by studying for the priesthood and eventually becoming a bishop for the Catholic Church. He returned to Ireland as a priest in 433 AD, aiming to convert the Irish to Christianity.

St. Patrick was a missionary for almost 30 years and later died in Ireland. After his death he was largely forgotten until he was recognised as and named Ireland’s patron saint centuries later.

The Symbols of Saint Patrick's Day

The Shamrock – one of the most commonly recognised symbols, the shamrock is a nod to St. Patrick’s missionary work in Ireland. St. Patrick commonly used the shamrock to explain Christianity’s Holy Trinity to the people of Ireland and it’s still a symbol to celebrate the holiday today.

Blue – Whilst most people associate the colour green with St. Patrick’s day, blue was actually the original colour. Green slowly replaced blue as the St. Patrick’s Day colour with green ribbons and shamrocks worn in celebration.

Leprechauns – Whilst commonly seen today, leprechauns aren’t a traditional symbol of St Patrick’s Day. It’s said that this came about after a Walt Disney Movie featured a cartoon version of the Irish folklore characters and leprechauns quickly evolved into a highly recognisable Irish character.