Like all good Saint's days, Saint Patrick's is shrouded in mythology and speculation which does little to harm his reputation as being a real swell guy to raise our glasses to. The legend of the snakes is perhaps the story that is told most often when the 17th March rolls around. And why shouldn't it be? After all, it has the inherent themes of danger and heroism similar to what we would find in a Hollywood movie (Samuel L. Jackson anybody?).
The problem is there is no evidence that snakes ever existed on Ireland after the Ice Age, and that this legend probably refers to the banishing of druids because of their serpent symbolism rather than any literal adders hiding in the grass and relentlessly striking fear in the heart of Irish. Or what about the case of the Pelagianists? Another belief (again represented by snakes), that those who sin, along with the rest of humanity, are completely responsible for their actions and no-one is subject to divine influence. An idea that probably wouldn't sit too well with a missionary who based his career on a "vision" he'd had in his twenties.
And Saint's day celebrations don't just turn up. It wasn't announced on Patrick's death that from that day forth his sainthood would be celebrated. This is where Luke Wadding enters the equation. In fact, it was his work over a millennium later that undoubtedly led to us celebrating Saint Patrick at all.
Wadding was an Irish Friar born in 1588. As you might expect, he also did a lot more for the cause of international Catholicism than people might realize. A keen historian, Wadding had an integral part in the education of young priests and students, becoming president of the University of Salamanca (Spain's oldest university) in 1617. Several years later, he dedicated his time to collecting funds in order to establish the Irish College of Saint Isodore (called the Pontifical Irish College, today) in Rome, and after that he founded the Ludovisi College.
As for his work for recognising the importance of Saint Patrick, this is a more complex and intriguing process than one might expect. It was during his time at the College of Saint Isodore that Wadding taught the importance of setting aside a feast day for Patrick. By this time in history, every day of the calendar year had been linked with a saint (a tradition that had stemmed from celebrating the original martyrs) at some time. In order to deal with this, the Roman calendar was refined to retain fewer saints restricted to specific days. It is when one acknowledges how widely celebrated the non-martyr (for this, his type of feast day is ranked secondary or 'memorial', usually an optional celebration compared to the obligatory 'solemnities') Saint Patrick, is today, one can truly accept the importance of Wadding's influence on the church, and society, today.
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What does Saint Patrick’s Day mean today?
Unless you’ve been hiding under rock over the past few years, you have probably noticed that St. Patrick’s day has been celebrated with increased zeal each time it rolls around. Celebrated on the 17th March (sometimes it is moved by the church, though will not be again until 2160), the date is said to be that of St. Patrick’s death and is a national holiday inn Ireland. But what does the celebration really mean today?
Religion
For many, St. Patrick’s Day still has many religious connotations and is an opportunity for Catholics to attend mass. If the 17th happens to fall on a Friday, some bishops allow the privilege to eat meat from which Catholics usually abstained. In terms of religion himself, St. Patrick was a Christian Missionary abroad and subsequently taught other Christians the best way to preach to pagan cultures. He is said to have converted thousands to the faith.
Green
Interestingly, St. Patrick was actually more famed for wearing blue. Instead, the relationship between the modern celebration and the colour green is said to have derived from the phrase ‘the wearing of the green’, which means to wear a shamrock (a long-time sign of Irish nationalism). St. Patrick often used the shamrock as a symbol to demonstrate the holy trinity during his preaching to non-Christians.
Alcohol
Today, St. Patrick ’s Day is widely associated with drinking typically Irish alcohol, including: whiskey, Guinness stout, Baileys Irish Cream, and Irish Coffee. Realising the great potential of the tradition making increased sales in Irish goods, alcoholic drinks marketers have tried to promote their brands with particular incentives on and around the 17th March year on year. Guinness seems to have led the way, with merchandise and token schemes successfully enticing many revellers to drink excess amounts of the famous dark stout in celebration.
Parade
Many cities across the world host their own St. Patrick’s Day parades. In the UK, the largest goes through Birmingham, but London and the small Scottish town of Coatbridge also have their own. In Chicago USA, the river is dyed green, and in 1966 environmentalists protested at the tradition affecting the river’s goldfish population, forcing the ingredients of the dye to be changed. The volcanic island of Montserrat, which was founded by Irish refugees, also celebrates the 17th as a national holiday.
By Sarah Maple
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