March 17th is the day on which St. Patrick’s Day is observed by Irish people and anyone else who would like to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, but how did this day come to be? Patrick, at a young age, was kidnapped by Irish raiders and forced to work as a shepherd. He managed to escape and became a priest afterwards. He decided to return to Ireland after some time in hopes of converting those he could reach to Christianity. His efforts led to thousands being converted to the religion. It is said that he used the shamrock (a three-leafed clover) to explain the Holy Trinity.
In the United States, the day was mostly known to be a day of raucous behavior and revelry while Ireland celebrated the day in a more traditional and solemn fashion. Nowadays, folks may choose to celebrate this holiday by participating in parades and wearing green the color green along with shamrocks (one must wear green especially to avoid being pinched by others).
If you’d like to join in the festivities or learn more about St. Patrick and events in honor of this day, please check out the links below.
FCLS St. Patrick's Day Programs
Discover Atlanta St. Patrick's Day Events
Fox 5 Atlanta's List of St. Patrick's Day Events
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day
https://www.ireland.com/en-us/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/
https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/st-patricks-day-march-17th
--Dana Marseille, Librarian
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