Happy Saint Patrick's Day ☘️

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and was alive sometime around the 5th century. There is some controversy around his life but the feast day dedicated to his sainthood (March 17th) has evolved into a wonderful celebration of Irish heritage and culture. The widespread Irish diaspora has fueled the spread of this holiday and has lead to adoptions of traditions across the U.S. (and the world) on this day. Parades, celebrations, wearing green, eating traditional Irish food, drinking Guinness, etc., are all great ways to celebrate. Personally I love listening to Irish music (The Saw Doctors are a great choice for something more modern) or watching a movie like the Banshee of Inisherin (which received significant accolades).

St. Patrick is credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland establishing churches, schools, and monasteries. Through this he promoted literacy and education and helped develop an early Irish written tradition. He was also known for using diplomacy and faith to bring stability to warring tribes and incorporating Irish traditions into Christianity. This helped the religion to take root without erasing native customs.

Unlike many later saints, St. Patrick was never formally canonized by the Catholic Church (as the process didn’t exist then). However, he was widely venerated as the "Apostle of Ireland" for his missionary work and was recognized as a saint by tradition.

My favorite place to celebrate Irish culture on St. Patrick’s Day is Boston, but if you’ve never celebrated it in Savannah, Georgia, I highly recommend it!