{"id":11876,"date":"2022-03-11T19:20:44","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T18:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=77620"},"modified":"2022-03-11T19:43:12","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T18:43:12","slug":"the-history-of-st-patricks-day-traditions-and-the-importance-of-the-colour-green","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/the-history-of-st-patricks-day-traditions-and-the-importance-of-the-colour-green\/","title":{"rendered":"The history of St Patrick\u2019s Day traditions \u2013 and the importance of the colour green"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Elinor Evans\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 11 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Who was Saint Patrick?<\/h2>\n

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born Maewyn Succat to a Christian family in Roman Britain<\/a> in the late fourth century AD.<\/p>\n

Shortly before he was 16, Patrick was captured from the villa of his father, Calpurnius,by a group of Irish raiders who took him to Ireland and forced him into slavery. Six years later he escaped home to Britain, his religious faith strengthened during his time in slavery.<\/p>\n

Believing he had been called by God to Christianise Ireland, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary of the Catholic church (adopting the name Patricius, or Patrick, which derives from the Latin for \u2018father figure\u2019). He played an important role in converting the native Irish to Christianity, travelling around the country performing baptisms and confirmations.<\/p>\n

When is St. Patrick\u2019s Day 2022?<\/h4>\n

St. Patrick\u2019s Day is celebrated on 17 March 2022<\/p>\n

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When was St Patrick\u2019s Day first celebrated?<\/h2>\n

By the end of the 7th century, St Patrick had become a legendary figure and was venerated as a saint \u2013 although he was never formally canonised. Legends around St Patrick \u2013 which are still told today \u2013 include the story that he drove the snakes of Ireland into the sea to their destruction, supposedly after they began attacking him during a 40-day fast.<\/p>\n

Natural historians have suggested that there is no evidence of snakes having ever existed in Ireland<\/a>, as the country was too cold during the Ice Age for reptiles to survive. (Though, of course, many have highlighted the metaphorical link between the snakes of the legend and Patrick\u2019s promotion of the Christian faith).<\/p>\n

\""A\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A St Patrick\u2019s Day postcard depicts St Patrick standing on cliff side, with blue robes, chasing the snakes from Ireland. (Image by Jim Heimann Collection\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the 1630s that 17 March, the traditional day of St Patrick\u2019s death, was added to the Catholic breviary (a book of prayers) as the Feast of St Patrick. By the late 17th century, Irish people were celebrating the day by wearing crosses, ribbons or shamrocks \u2013 the latter which St Patrick used (according to tradition) to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to an \u2018unbeliever\u2019 by showing him the three-leaved plant with one stalk.<\/p>\n