St. Patrick’s St. Patrick’s DayDay

Who was St. Patrick?Who was St. Patrick?St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland.

He converted many Irish to Christianity inthe fifth century.

St. Patrick incorporated traditional Celticsymbols, like the bonfire and the sun,

intohis Christian teachings.

St. Patrick died on March 17, 462.

St. Patrick’s Day is the saint’s feast day and

has evolved from a religious holiday to aworldwide celebration.

St. Patrick’s Day TraditionsSt. Patrick’s Day Traditions• Christians attend church in the morning and celebrate in

the afternoon, although pubs in Ireland were closed on March 17 by law until 1995.

• The rules of Lent are waived and revelers traditionally eat Irish bacon and cabbage.

• Many rivers around the world are dyed green for the day.

• Parades are held in many cities around the world to celebrate.

St. Patrick’s Day SymbolsSt. Patrick’s Day Symbols

The Celtic Cross – a sun (from the Celts) super-imposed on a

cross (from the Christians)

The shamrock, or “seamroy,” symbolizes the rebirth of spring. It was later adopted as a symbol of Irish nationalism.

The leprechaun, or “lobaircin” was a cranky, “small-bodied fellow” of Celtic folklore, given its “cute” features and popularized in the United States by Walt Disney.

St. Patrick’s Day SymbolsSt. Patrick’s Day Symbols

Music has always been an important part of the St.

Patricks Day celebrations.

Irish music is produced with instruments like the fiddle, the uilleann pipes, the tin whistle, and the

bodhran.

St. Patrick never drove snakes from Ireland; the story is a metaphor for driving paganism from the island.

The traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage is still a favourite of Irish families today

St. Patrick’s ParadeSt. Patrick’s Parade