St. Patrick’s Day facts

By Rachel Abbott (ABC School’s Academic Coordinator) Every year, on 17^th March, many people around the world pay tribute to St. Patrick by going to pubs and bars to celebrate with friends and many dress in green for the occasion. Interestingly, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more than 30 countries around the world, with more celebrations taking place in the U.S.A than in Ireland. This is fascinating considering the fact that this holiday originated in Ireland. But who exactly was St. Patrick and why is he so special to the Irish people? St Patrick was the patron saint or guardian of Ireland, and lived in Ireland in the late 4^th and early 5^th centuries. Surprisingly, he wasn’t even Irish and was actually a Romano-Britain. Romano-British culture arose in Britain under the rule of the Roman Empire, in the period AD 43-410. According to sources, St Patrick was captured by Irish thieves and taken to Ireland as a slave when he was just 16 years of age. Subsequently, he lived in Ireland and worked looking after animals for 6 years before escaping and returning to Britain. He apparently brought Christianity to Ireland and was the first Bishop of Armagh, which is a county in Northern Ireland. He did this after returning to Ireland years later as a cleric or religious leader. The 17^th of March is the supposed date of St. Patrick’s death and this is why people remember him on this day. Some fascinating facts Interestingly, the name Patrick is no longer as popular as it once was. In 1964, one in every 15 new-born boys were named Patrick. However, since then the popularity has declined significantly and in 2014, only 1 in 97 boys born that year were given this name. Data released just a few years ago, in 2015, showed that more Irish people live abroad than any other nationality and according to figures released in 2011 more people can speak Irish now than 100 years ago. As mentioned, St. Patrick’s Day is not only celebrated in Ireland and street parades take place in over 30 countries. However, it is a public holiday in only a few countries, including Ireland and a small Island in the West Indies called Montserrat. Montserrat is nicknamed The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish ancestry of many of its inhabitants. Why do people drink alcohol on St. Patrick’s Day? Traditionally, people would feast on 17^th March in honour of St. Patrick on the anniversary of his death. Christians are allowed to put aside their Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol consumption on this day, which is why drinking has become permanently linked to the celebration. Traditionally, many people drink Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day because it originated in a brewery in Ireland. Guinness is a dry stout and is considered to be the most popular drink in Ireland. It actually has many health benefits as it is rich in iron and other nutrients and can help to reduce blood clots and reduce the risk of heart attacks. Of course, it should be consumed in moderation, and one pint per day is all you need! Other ways to celebrate Of course, if you are under the age of 18 or if you simply do not drink alcohol, there are other ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. For instance, you could eat traditional Irish food, such as Coddle, which is layers of bacon with sliced potatoes and onions. You could even go to see some live Irish music and dance to the sound of the fiddle! Whatever you decide to do to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, whether it’s a street parade, traditional Irish food or a pint of Guinness, make sure you enjoy yourself! One thing the Irish know how to do well, is have fun!