…finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?
Happy St Patricks Day from Paul & Elora!
Thought we’d put a few fun facts in the post for you as well as a bit of information on Saint Patrick himself! Enjoy…
1. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17
2. In 2009, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday
3. Gaelic is the official first language of Ireland, even though less than one percent of the population speak it on a regular basis
4. English is also spoken throughout Ireland
5. St. Patrick is known as the Patron Saint of Ireland and is credited with having brought Christianity to the island
6. 1903: St. Patrick’s Day was declared an official Irish holiday
7. 1737: First St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America took place in Boston
8. There is some speculation that the popularity of St. Patrick’s day spread because of it’s close proximity to the spring equinox on the calendar
History of Saint Patrick
The man who would one day become Saint Patrick was born in the fifth century A.D. in Britain. When he was a teen he was kidnapped by Irish Pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. While he was enslaved he studied Christianity, and after escaping he went to study the religion further. He spent twelve years in a monastery under the tutelage of St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre. It was here that he realized his calling. He returned to Ireland with the word of God and began converting the native pagans to Christianity. History tells that he traveled Ireland for thirty years, building schools and monasteries all over the island.
March 17, the date of the holiday, commemorates his death.
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