On Saturday, March 16, expect the most fun-filled St Patricks Day event Lawrenceville has ever seen in the Downtown Historic District. It’s a celebration when everyone is Irish for a day. But while
people tip their glasses to ole St. Patrick around the world once per year, few people know the origins of the unofficial holiday. These are three true facts — not alternative ones — about the history of St. Paddy’s Day who might enjoy knowing.
Why We Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
The Irish public holiday was initially intended to commemorate the death of the patron saint who ushered Christianity into Ireland. He was a Roman Britain who was abducted and brought to Ireland as a slave. Years after escaping, he returned to convert the Irish people and established churches, schools, and monasteries. We celebrate his death on March 17, 461.
Myths About St. Patrick
The most well-known legend about St. Patrick is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Some scientists contend that there were no snakes in Ireland to begin with due to an Ice Age. Another myth is that people go green on St. Patrick’s Day to reflect the lush landscape of Ireland. The green thing actually started in America and was linked to leprechauns.
St. Patrick’s Day Started As A Purely Religious Holiday
The notion of St. Paddy’s Day as a secular time of revelry is largely another American interpretation following the Irish diaspora. It was the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church that made “Lá Fhéile Pádraig” an official religious holiday at the beginning of the 17th Century. The day served to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland with feasts and festivals. Christians attended church services, and Lenten restrictions were generally lifted so that people could drink alcohol. The lifting of the alcohol ban led to the day being associated with alcohol consumption.
Hopefully, these historical facts and myth origins provide tidbits of trivia to share at the St Patricks Day event Lawrenceville has scheduled. Time to break out your best green attire and let your inner Irish celebrate.
