St. Patrick's Day....what are we celebrating again?

If I asked you to tell me why we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, what would you say? To wear green or get pinched? To have an excuse to dress your little kid up like a leprechaun? To drink a bunch of green colored beer? All great answers (except for dressing your kid up, that's kind of weird folks) BUT, let's get real for a minute.

There was a patron saint of Ireland named Patrick born around 387 AD. As a teenager he was taken captive as a slave to Ireland. According to the legend, he was told by God in a dream to escape from his enslavement and head to back to Britain. So he did, and studied to become a priest. Now a bishop, he was called by God back to Ireland to save the Irish people where he often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity to the people (three leaves representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He died about 30 years after spreading the Word and is known as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is recognized as so in the Irish Church.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by some as a one day break during Lent, traditionally feasting and drinking. Most commonly in the US, people dress in green and are punished by a pinch if they lack the color. The Chicago River in Illinois is also dyed green for the day, as ssen above, and is quite a sight to see.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

-JAI