Maewyn Succet (Saint Patrick) was born in Great Britain—not Ireland—to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. At the age of 16, Maewyn was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for comfort, becoming a devout Christian.
After more than six years as a prisoner, Maewyn escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God’s—spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
After escaping to Britain, Maewyn reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Years later, he became an ordained priest named Patrick, returned to Ireland, and started converting all of the Irish Celtic pagans to Christianity.
In the centuries following Patrick’s death (March 17, 461), he became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture. The most well-known legend of St. Patrick is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of an Irish clover, the shamrock.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17 as the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,500 years. On this day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
(Information obtained by history.com)
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