St. Patrick, Read about St. Patrick and discuss!

[CelticRadio]

St. Patrick’s Day is many things to many people. For some it is a chance to celebrate their Irish heritage and remember their ancestors. For others it is a great day to plan a party and get together with both Irish and non-Irish friends. And of course many of us simply see St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse to drink lots and lots of green beer.

No matter how you choose to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the history of this holiday is certainly worth examining. The original St. Patrick accomplished much more than ridding Ireland of snakes, and he emerged from his pagan roots to become one of Christianity’s best known figures.

The history of St. Patrick’s Day owes its origins to the Christian church, celebrating St. Patrick’s feast day on what was believed to be the anniversary of his death. Way back in 1737, Irish immigrants living in the US began to celebrate this important holiday, and the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1766 in New York City.

Read more from the full article, then discuss it here!

http://heraldry.celticradio.net/history.php?id=7

[Rhymer]

St Patrick...patron saint of Eire. In fact was born in what is now called Cumbria. He was stolen by Pirates from the emerald isle and became a slave . While serving as a slave he met with God and was converted.The town of Aspatria in Cumbria was named after him.It is said he rid Eire of snakes,I often wonder what kinds of snakes were in that country, could the term snakes be allegorical for non beleiving Chieftains who were converted to Christianity.