Photos of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations

St. Patrick’s Day, a global holiday rooted in Irish tradition, arrives in March with the vibrant greens of spring.

Historiography doesn’t much about St. Patrick despite his significant influence on Irish culture. Patrick, who was born Maewyn Succat in the fifth century, was completely different from Irish. He is thought to have been the son of a Roman-British official and was born in Wales.

When he was a teenager, he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He escaped and was brought back to Britain after six years of being imprisoned.

Later, Patrick returned to Ireland as a missionary and tried to convert Irish pagans to Christianity. He came by the Latin name Patricius at this time.

By the tenth century, evidence of St. Patrick’s growing cult following was beginning to emerge in Ireland. His legacy was only officially recognized in the first half of the 17th century, though.

The Catholic Church successfully persuaded an Irish priest to designate March 17 as a day of St. Patrick’s Day.

The day was historically a solemn occasion in Ireland and closely related to religious observance. However, as the day progressed, it gradually became a lively, multicultural celebration, welcomed by Irish and non-Irish revelers alike.

Source: Aljazeera