2008 Woodie Awards
St. Patrick's Day
More than an excuse to drink green beer
by Rebekah Scruggs
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: Connections
St. Patrick's Day is the celebration of the life of Christianity's most widely known figure. St. Patrick is known as "the saint who drove the snakes from Ireland". According to history.com, this modern and secular holiday is based on an original Christian feast day and is also believed to be the day that St. Patrick died.
St. Patrick's Day falls during the time of Lent, and since the tradition started thousands of years ago, Irish Catholic families saw it as a religious holiday. They would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. The Lenten prohibitions about not eating meat would be waived and people would dance, drink, and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
There are many factual and fictional elements when it comes to St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick was a real person, but the legend of leprechauns and shamrocks is another story. According to geocities.com, the shamrock was originally chosen as the national emblem of Ireland because of the legend that St. Patrick used it to show the doctrine of the Trinity. This Christian doctrine states that God is one being who exists simultaneously and eternally as a mutual indwelling of three persons: the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Most shamrocks have been considered good luck charms by the Irish for years. Celebrants of St. Patrick's Day often wear them on the holiday.
The second legend of St. Patrick Day has to do with leprechauns. A leprechaun looks like a small, ugly, old man about two feet tall. He is usually dressed as a shoemaker, and has a cocked hat and an apron. According to Irish legend, a leprechaun is aloof and unfriendly; he lives alone and makes shoes to pass the time. He possesses a pot of gold. A person can track him down by following the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, the leprechaun must reveal the location of the gold. However, if you look away for even one moment, the leprechaun vanishes, and the chance of getting the gold is lost. Many people don't actually believe in these legends, but they are fun to indulge in. Freshman Kelly Jones agrees.
St. Patrick's Day falls during the time of Lent, and since the tradition started thousands of years ago, Irish Catholic families saw it as a religious holiday. They would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. The Lenten prohibitions about not eating meat would be waived and people would dance, drink, and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
There are many factual and fictional elements when it comes to St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick was a real person, but the legend of leprechauns and shamrocks is another story. According to geocities.com, the shamrock was originally chosen as the national emblem of Ireland because of the legend that St. Patrick used it to show the doctrine of the Trinity. This Christian doctrine states that God is one being who exists simultaneously and eternally as a mutual indwelling of three persons: the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Most shamrocks have been considered good luck charms by the Irish for years. Celebrants of St. Patrick's Day often wear them on the holiday.
The second legend of St. Patrick Day has to do with leprechauns. A leprechaun looks like a small, ugly, old man about two feet tall. He is usually dressed as a shoemaker, and has a cocked hat and an apron. According to Irish legend, a leprechaun is aloof and unfriendly; he lives alone and makes shoes to pass the time. He possesses a pot of gold. A person can track him down by following the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, the leprechaun must reveal the location of the gold. However, if you look away for even one moment, the leprechaun vanishes, and the chance of getting the gold is lost. Many people don't actually believe in these legends, but they are fun to indulge in. Freshman Kelly Jones agrees.
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