WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - - St. Patrick's Day falls on Sunday this year.
Initially considered a solemn day, it handled a life of its own in the United States. According to Historian Michael Francis, the very first record of a St. Patrick's Day celebration in the United States remained in Spain's national archives, and that's because it occurred in the 1600s in St. Augustin, Florida, which was a Spanish colony at the time.
The holiday became popular among the Irish Diaspora in America. According to the Census Bureau, there are over 30 million people of Irish descent living in the U.S.
St. Patrick's Day has moved beyond being only an Irish - - or even a Catholic - celebration. It's entered into American culture, but what do we understand about the individual behind the vacation?
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St. Patrick is simply among several Irish saints who played a crucial role in the history of Catholicism in Ireland. Nevertheless, we understand really little about him, and there are questions on whether he actually existed.
St. Patrick was reportedly born at some point at the end of Roman rule of Britain. He might have been born in Cumbria, in the northern part of England, or possibly even Scotland.
According to the Catholic Encylopedia, he originally concerned Ireland as a slave, and it was during his captivity on the then-pagan island that he transformed to Christianity. He would eventually leave but would return years later on as a missionary.
He was never ever formally canonized by the Catholic Church, though sainthood during that period was determined on a more regional level.
The one task frequently associated with St. Patrick is his driving all the snakes out of Ireland. Today, we know he didn't do that, however more to the point, that legend may have established from misconception.
The confusion depends on the word. St. Patrick eliminated the serpents, something a bit various from snakes.
Serpent is a more comprehensive term, especially when referring to animals in antiquity. It could also describe dragons and all way of comparable famous monsters.
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According to reporter Tom Prendiville, who composed in the Irish Independent, the legend of St. Patrick and the serpent was most likely a misreading of ancient text. St. Patrick likely led a group of armed missionaries against a pagan cult that used snake symbology in their praise.
While there will likely never ever be a definitive response regarding what is reality or fiction relating to St. Patrick, it's tough to deny the significance of his impact on Ireland and Catholicism. That impact has likewise impacted American culture, paving the way to events - - many involving parades - - to iconography like shamrocks and leprechauns.
To get more information about St. Patrick, both in legend and the context of Catholicism, see Catholic Online.
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