Today is St Patrick’s day, a day that millions of people around the world celebrate each year. It’s a celebration of Irish history and culture and is a national holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Who was St Patrick?
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is celebrated for bringing Christianity to the country. He is thought to have grown up in Britain, during Roman times, but was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. Once he was free again, he trained as a priest, and went back to Ireland to convert thousands of people to Christianity.
The dates of Patrick’s life cannot be fixed with certainty, but sometime after 431 AD, Patrick was appointed as successor to St Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland. Patrick established his headquarters at Armagh. Tradition credits him with being the first bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland. He is traditionally associated with the shamrock, a type of clover and is often pictured holding one.
How to celebrate St Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day started as a religious feast to celebrate the work of Saint Patrick, but it has grown to be an international festival celebrating all things Irish.
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Wear green and sport a Shamrock
As the Shamrock is tightly connected to Saint Patrick and his teachings, it is now widely used to represent Ireland. The Irish used to wear Shamrocks to signify Irish Christian pride and it soon transformed into wearing green to celebrate the day! Although Shamrocks don’t actually exist, they are closely linked to clovers due to the similarities to the leaves hence many use clovers in decoration and face paint on the day.
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Eat some traditional grub
Try a traditional Irish meal such as Irish Beef Stew, Irish Boxty – a type of Potato pancake – or Dublin Coddle – Irish Sausage and Potato stew.
Are you celebrating St Patrick’s Day this year? Tell us how in the comments below.
St Patrick’s Day details as published on BBC Newsround