Today March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and all Irish people both in Ireland and abroad celebrate this very special day of the year. You can watch and partake in colourful parades through the cities, towns and villages. You might get a bunch of shamrock from someone and green coloured Guinness in pubs and bars.Shamrock grows in the fields and it is reported that shamrock is only found in Ireland. Originally the colour associated with St. Patrick was actually blue, but for whatever reasons it changed over the years to green. On this day of merriment,people are dancing and singing, and generally having fun and of course - some of the more brave ones getting drunk.
When I first came to Ireland to visit my Irish partner , he said to me: “There are no dangerous animals in Ireland. No bears, no snakes or wolves – St. Patrick banned them from our land.” And it is true, there are no dangerous animals here, except some dangerous drivers, who degenerate to wild freaking monkeys, when sitting behind a stiring wheel. But I suppose this strange species appears everywhere around the globe.
The history of St. Patrick goes back to the 5th century. Patrick’s father came from a wealthy family in France and was a deacon in the Church. When Patrick was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and brought to Ireland as a slave where he tended to sheep as a shepard. The story says that he was told by God to escape from captivity and flee to the coast where he would be able to return to his homeland. Back at home he studied to become a priest and in later years he returned to Ireland as a bishop. Patrick said he was called back to Ireland to save the Irish. He brought Christianity to Ireland and is held in esteem in the all Irish Churches, both Catholic and Protestant.
