Fun Facts About St Paddys Day

Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish and he wasn’t called Patrick. He was actually born in Britain in 386 AD and was originally named Maewyn Succat. Saint Patrick was only known as Patrick once he’d become a priest and the only reason he traveled to Ireland in the first place was because he’d been kidnapped by pirates. At around 16 years old, Maewyn was taken by Irish pirates from his native home of either Scotland or more probably Wales and sold into Irish slavery. He spent six long years herding sheep in the Irish countryside before escaping back to Britain and reuniting with his parents. Next he trained with the church and achieved priesthood before a calling summoned him back to the Emerald Isle where he traveled the countryside teaching Christianity and converting thousands of people to Christianity. After Patrick died on March 17 461 he was largely forgotten until mythology and legend grew and centuries later he was honored as the Patron Saint.

According to one famous myth Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland.  St Patrick chased every single serpent into the sea and banished them forever after snakes attacked him during a 40 day fast he was undertaking on a hilltop. The story more likely symbolized Patrick cleansing the island of paganism. But there’s just one problem Ireland never had any snakes to begin with. The post-glacial Emerald Isle is surrounded by water too frigid for snakes to migrate from Britain or from anywhere else.

According to another famous story Patrick used the three leaves of the Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. One leaf one for Hope, one for faith and one for love. As a result people in 18th century Ireland started wearing shamrocks on March 17 to signify their Irish Christian pride. Those shamrocks don’t really exist in Ireland and we know them as any one of several 3 leaf plants such as wood sorrel or white and yellow clover. The Shamrock is also the national flower of Ireland and the 4 leaf clover shamrock thing isn’t real.

Celebrating St. Patricks day with Flippysox!