Saint Patrick is an Irish holiday celebrated on March 17. It has been a legal holiday since 1607 and a public holiday since 1903. But where does this tradition come from? Saint Patrick was neither more nor less than the founder of Christianity in Ireland during the 5th century. According to legend, he held up a three-leaf clover during a sermon to explain the Holy Trinity, says Futura. He would thus have made this little plant the emblem of an entire country.
However, before preaching the good word, Patricius, born in a place which remains to be determined with certainty, was hardly a believer. He was kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland when he was a teenager. At the age of 16, he worked as a shepherd for a clan chief, details Geo. It was then that he converted to Christianity. He himself claimed to have seen God for the first time during this period.
Founder of the Church of Ireland
According to the legend, always, the young man then went to Gaul to follow a religious formation there under the name of Patrick. In 432 he was sent to Ireland by Pope Celestine to evangelize the pagans of the Emerald Isle. Having become a bishop, he converted the kings of Dublin and Munster to Christianity before founding the Church of Ireland.
Saint Patrick is therefore a Christian holiday registered since 1607 in the Catholic liturgical calendar. It is held during Lent and corresponds to the breaking of the fast. In addition to its religious aspect, this event is an opportunity for millions of people around the world to dress in green and celebrate in homage to Irish Celtic culture, its songs, its traditional dishes and its hopped drinks.