As you probably know, today, March 17th, is Saint Patrick’s Day honoring Ireland's patron saint, St. Patrick. We now associate Saint Patrick's Day with everything Irish such as anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. In Ireland the day is a religious occasion. In the United States, however, St. Patrick's Day celebrations are secular. They date back as far as 1737 when Boston held its first St. Patrick's Day parade. President Truman attended the New York City parade in 1948, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors fought prejudice before finding acceptance in America. In addition to parades, we celebrate with such traditions as the wearing of the green and drinking green beer. Because many Americans celebrate their Irish lineage on St. Patrick’s Day, Congress in 1995 named March as Irish-American Heritage Month. Each year, the U.S. president also issues an Irish-American Heritage Month proclamation.

Who was St. Patrick? The boy who became St. Patrick was born either Magonus Sucatus or Maewyn Succat in the Roman Empire in Great Britain between 370 and 390 AD. His name was changed to Patricius (Patrick) either after his baptism or after he became a priest. Far from being a saint, the future priest considered himself a pagan until the age of sixteen when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. He remained in captivity for six years during which time he worked as a shepherd and began to have religious visions. During one of the visions, Patrick saw a rescue ship and he fled to France. Becoming a priest, he established monasteries across Ireland and set up schools and churches that aided him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity. His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. He died on March 17 in the year 461. You can read more about his life story at such websites as the Catholic Forum's Patron Saints Index or the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Check out some of the materials about St. Patrick at the Nashua Public Library including:

Patrick [videorecording] / narrated by Liam Neeson; voice of Patrick by Gabriel Byrne; commentary by Frank McCourt;

The life of St. Patrick and his place in history by John B. Bury;

St. Patrick of Ireland : a biography by Philip Freeman;

The book of saints by Nino Ricci (Reference).

You may also wish to visit websites about St. Patrick's Day including:

The History Channel's Saint Patrick's Day;

cb.move.com's Saint Patrick's Day;

or some recipes and crafts at Kaboose's St. Patrick's Day.

When Irish eyes are smiling...