Each country has national holidays, which have their own history and certain traditions of celebration. Not an exception forever green Ireland - a country of Celts and legends. Every Irishman is looking forward to a single holiday, which will be an occasion to drink beer, have fun and dance under bagpipes. It's St. Patrick's Day. A holiday is celebrated in honor of the Christian saint and patron of Ireland - Patrick (Irish, Naomh Pádraig, Patrici). The saint received universal recognition not only in Ireland, but also in the United States, Great Britain, Nigeria Canada, and more recently in Russia.
History of the holiday: St. Patrick's Day
The only reliable source of any information about Patrick's biography is the work Confession written by himself. According to this work, the saint was born in Britain, which at the time was under the administration of Rome. His life was full of events: he was abducted, made a slave, he ran away and often got into trouble. At a certain point in his life, Patrick had a vision that he needed to become a priest, and he decided to devote his life to God. Having received the necessary education and having accepted the dignity, the saint begins missionary activity, which brings him fame.
The main achievements of St. Patrick include:
- brought writing to Ireland;
- According to legend, he drove out of the skeleton the snakes that plagued the locals;
- became the main organizer of the Irish church;
- taught priests from local residents;
- struggled with paganism.
Patrick died on March 17. For his services he was canonized in the Christian church, and for the citizens of Ireland he became a true national hero. March 17 was appointed the day when celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The celebration is postponed only when the day of memory falls before Easter , in the Holy Week.
How to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
According to the legend, Patrick, using the shamrock, brought to people the meaning of the "holy Trinity ", explaining that God can be represented in three persons, just as 3 leaves can grow from a single stem. That is why the symbol of St. Patrick's Day was the emblem of the shamrock, and the main color remains green. On this day, every Irishman attaches a leaf of clover to clothes, a hat or inserts into the buttonholes. For the first time the emblem of the shamrock appeared on the uniform of the troops of the Irish volunteers, created in 1778 to protect the island from external enemies. When Ireland began to strive for freedom from the UK, the clover began to symbolize freedom and independence.
By tradition, St. Patrick's Day is opened by the morning service in the main temples, and then, the parade begins, which lasts from 11 pm to 5 pm. Beginning opens the wagon with a huge figure of Patrick in green robes and a bishop's miter. Next people move in extravagant carnival costumes and national Irish clothes. Often there are characters of leprechauns - popular fairy-tale creatures supposedly guarding treasures. The whole procession is accompanied by a mass of orchestras led by traditional bagpipes, platforms with characters of historical events.
In addition to all this, the celebration of St. Patrick's Day has many Christian and folk traditions.
- Christian. Pilgrimage to the sacred mountain Croagh Patrick. It was there that Patrick fasted and prayed for 40 days.
- People's. Drinking traditional "Patricks". Before draining the last glass of whiskey, you should put a clover in the glass. Having drunk a drink, the shamrock must be thrown over the left shoulder - for good luck.
It should be noted that the most lavish celebrations are held not in Ireland, but in the USA. Americans do not only dress themselves up in green suits, but even paint them in emerald colors.