Saint Patrick's Day (March 17th), is an Irish holiday honoring
Saint Patrick, the missionary credited with converting the Irish
to Christianity (in the A.D. 400's).
Saint Patrick was not actually Irish. Historical sources report
that he was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland (near the
town of Dumbarton) or in Roman Britain (the Romans left
Britain in 410 A.D.). His real name is believed to be Maewyn
Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a
priest). He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by pirates and sold
into slavery in Ireland. During his 6-year captivity (he worked
as a shepherd), he began to have religious visions, and found
strength in his faith. He finally escaped (after voices in one of
his visions told him where he could find a getaway ship) and went
to France, where he became a priest (and later a bishop).
When he was about 60 years old, St. Patrick travelled to Ireland
to spread the Christian word. It's said that Patrick had an
unusually winning personality, and that helped him win converts.
He used the shamrock, which resembles a three-leafed clover, as a
metaphor to explain the concept of the Trinity (father, son, holy
spirit).
Legend has it that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of
Ireland -- that they all went into the sea and drowned. The snake
was a revered pagan symbol, and perhaps this was a figurative
tale alluding to the fact that he drove paganism out of Ireland.
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