St. Patrick Day
St. Patrick Day
St.Patrick is patron saint of Ireland, one of the christianity’s well-known figures.
He was born in Britain in wealthy family around 4th century. We are not sure about his father’s job. It is said that he was a deacon, but there is no evidence that Patrick came from a religious family. When he was 16 years old he was captured and taken to Ireland to be a slave.
During this time he laws living alone and he was working as a shepherd. But probably he listened to God and after that Patrick became a Christian. After many years he went back to Britain, but suddenly an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. His religious studies lasted 15 years. Then he became a priest, returned to Ireland and he wanted to change pagan Irish.
There are also many myths and legends around him. It is claimed that he chased all snakes out of Ireland. But some people said that there were no snakes in the island and it was just the symbol of eradication of pagan ideology.
Actually, nobody knows and for us-it can be the only the question to discuss.
Patrick is by the way famous for shamrock, the three-leaved plant, which represents the Holy Trinity and it also symbolizes the rebirth of the spring. In 17.century shamrock became a symbol of Irish nationalism. Many Irish wore shamrock, when English began to seize Ireland.
Nowadays people celebrated the 17.March (it is the date, when Patrick died-460AD) almost all over the world. Mostly in US, Australia, New Zealand and other English speaking countries and of course in Ireland. People attend churches, they sing songs, dance, enjoy the life, wear in green and even drink special green beer in their popular irish pubs.
Questions to discuss:
1)Do we have any similar well-known person like St. Patrick, which we celebrated in Czech republic?
2) Is it important for every country to have some celebrated person?
3) Why is the feast of St. Patrick so popular all over the world?
Med
(Evagjz, 12. 11. 2023 2:11)