The Origins of St. Patrick's Day

While a lot of people think that St. Patrick’s day is just wearing green, having parades (when they are not closed, unlike this year) and drinking beer. The holiday is actually grounded in history and dates back at least 1,500 years. The earliest celebrations of St. Patrick’s day were in 1631 on March 17th, marking the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in the 5th century.

Much of what is known about St. Patrick's life is interwoven with folklore and legend. Although St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, many historians believe he was actually born in Britain. He is known in Ireland because at the age of 16 he was kidnapped and taken to a priest in Northern Ireland. After around 6 years of being a shepherd, he escaped and went back to Britain. Later on in his life, he decided to go back to Ireland as a Christian Priest.

It's a common myth that St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland when he returned from Britain. Among the legends of St. Patrick one of them is that he Stood on a hillside and banished snakes from Ireland-prompting all serpents to slither away to the sea. Infact, research suggests that snakes never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place.

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