Lá Fhéile Pádraig

     “If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?” Saint Patrick’s Day or Feast of Saint Patrick was founded after the death of the Romano-British Christian missionary Saint Patrick passed away in 460 A.D. Officially known as Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Irish, “The Day of the Festival of Patrick” is now commonly celebrated around the world, but not as a real holiday. Although Saint Patrick’s Day is known for leprechauns and pots of gold, the Shamrock, the flower of Ireland, is the traditional symbol because of its importance in explaining the Holy Trinity. The festive day is celebrated with the wearing of green or orange and eating traditional Irish foods. In common days, people will pinch others if they are not wearing green to honor Saint Patrick. In Ireland, the Irish will give their respects to “Apostle of Ireland” with parades, church services, the drinking of Irish beer and whiskey, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating meat. The most common meals include shepherd's pie and corned beef with cabbage.

       Saint Patrick, born in 385 A.D., was raised in a Romano-British home with a deacon father. Because religion was so strong in his family, he was raised religious. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken captive but was able to escape and attend school in hopes of becoming a priest. His Christian beliefs were pretty widely known throughout Ireland, including his comparison of the three-leaf clover to the trinity. He continued to evangelize for thirty years in Ireland and even described himself as the "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshiped idols and unclean things had become the people of God." He later died at the age of 85 on March 17, 460 A.D.  After his death, Irish natives began to celebrate March 17th in honor of Saint Patrick.