Things you Probably Didn’t Know about St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, but how much do you really know about the man for whom the holiday is named and the holiday? The people at findingDulcinea, a travel guide publisher and information Web site, were kind enough to share their list of Things You Probably Didn’t Know about St. Patrick’s Day:

1. St. Patrick’s first trip to Ireland was as a captive. When he was 16, Irish raiders snatched him from the home of his wealthy parents and brought him to Ireland, where he lived for six years before making his escape. He returned to Ireland many years later as a missionary.

2. St. Patrick did not drive the snakes out of Ireland; in fact, there weren’t any there. However, he did spend six years as a shepherd. He may not have performed any magic while tending the flock, but according to his “Confessions,” he prayed every day and the solace he drew from religion inspired him to join the priesthood.

3. A Shamrock should only have three leaves, according to St. Patrick. It was the symbol he used to explain the idea of the Holy Trinity when he was teaching the Irish about Christianity.

4. St. Patrick created the Celtic cross by combining the cross and the pagan image of the sun, in an attempt to ease the pre-Christian Irish into adopting his religion. He also incorporated bonfires into the Easter celebration because the Irish used fire to worship their gods.

5. The first-ever St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762. Irish soldiers serving in the English military united and marched to share their culture.

6. St. Patrick helped preserve the works of Plato and Cicero. He and other monks in Ireland spent years making handwritten copies of ancient texts and spread them throughout Europe when the manuscripts were complete.

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