Wilma Andrews recently shared a bit of history surrounding St. Patrick’s Day with me, and I thought it might be fun to share with you.
“…Here is just a little information about St’ Patrick’s Day, which we celebrate on March 17.
A Franciscan Friar from Waterford, Ireland invented the first St. Patrick’s Day by declaring it a day of spiritual renewal, and on that day there would be no drinking, eating of meat or festivities going on. It was a day to be serious and fast and pray.
St. Patrick was thought to have originally come from Scotland or Wales, where he was abducted at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland, where he was to be a sheep herder. While he was herding sheep one night, he had a vision from heaven that told him he should escape from sheep herding and begin preaching, teaching and baptizing people and spreading the Christian faith around the countryside. He remained in Ireland, preaching Christianity until his death in 461. He is buried on the grounds at Down Cathedral in County Down…
“…The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the US was held in Boston in 1737. The first official St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York in 1766. The first official St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland was held in Waterford, Ireland (where all the beautiful Waterford Crystal is produced) in 1903. Dublin, Ireland held their first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1931.
Because of all the rain in Ireland, it is always green; thus, it is known to be the Emerald Island…”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Pastor Mark