St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 to honor Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. Almost 1500 years ago the patron saint and national hero of Ireland was born to a Gaelic family who had migrated to Britain.
For 16 years, Patrick lived a normal life as the son of a prosperous landowner and magistrate until he was captured and forced into slavery. Patrick spent 6 years herding sheep. He escaped and returned to Ireland to do missionary work. Eventually he was ordained as a deacon, then priest, and finally as a bishop.

As the Irish emigrated around the world, they took the St. Pat's celebration with them. The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in Boston.

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY SYMBOLS

GOOD LUCK
It is considered good luck on Saint Patrick's Day to:
1. Find a four-leaf clover (that's double the good luck it usually is).
2. Wear green. (School children have started a little tradition of their own -- they pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday).
3. Kiss the blarney stone.

THE SHAMROCK
The shamrock, a member of the clover family, was used by Patrick to explain the mystery of the Trinity, the three leaves of the shamrock representing the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). According to Irish legend, Ireland's patron saint chose the shamrock as a symbol of the Trinity of the Christian church. To this day the shamrock remains the national emblem of Ireland and is worn proudly by Irish people the world over on St. Patrick's Day (March 17).

BLARNEY STONE
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle.
The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support. Can you imagine kissing something that has had people's lips all over it for 500 years? Yuck!

LEPRECHAUN
Irish fairy. Looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

GREEN
The color green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock.

Happy St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick's Festival (March 15th-19th 2007) Ireland's biggest annual celebration. Thousands travelled from around the globe for this massive spectacle of street theatre, fireworks, international carnival, bands, a treasure hunt, music, mischief and fun! Exciting showcase for the manifold skills of the people of Ireland.