Every year, on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in earnest all over the world. Although the holiday has become synonymous with wearing green and downing pints of Guinness among other libations, there’s much more to it. The festivities surrounding the holiday honor the life and teachings of Saint Patrick , Ireland’s patron saint who is believed to have been born as Maewyn Succat and later adopted the moniker by which he’s known today.
Patrick’s story and how do we separate the fact from fiction when it comes to the traditions and religious symbols he inspired hundreds of years ago.
1.Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish.
The biggest misconception about Saint Patrick was that he was Irish. Born in England circa 385 AD, Saint Patrick didn’t make his way to Ireland until Irish pirates kidnapped him at age 16 and sold him into slavery. Later, he dedicated his life to converting the Irish to Christianity.
2.He taught himself to read and write.
Because of his enslavement, it’s believed Saint Patrick missed out on education opportunities such as learning to read and write in his youth. Saint Patrick’s education seemed limited to religious teachings where he studied under a French bishop and was eventually ordained. Still, lack of a formal education Saint Patrick, who is believed to have taught himself to read and write beyond his basic Latin. on the Oxford University Press’s website, Saint Patrick’s success as a missionary was due to tenacity and “dogged determination,” even in the face of uncertainty and second guesses about his own self-worth.
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