3. He travelled across Europe, studying Christianity Patrick ’ s studies of Christianity took him to France – he spent much of his time at Auxerre, but also visited Tours and the abbey at Lérins. His studies are thought to have taken him about 15 years to complete. Once he was ordained, he returned to Ireland, adopting the name Patrick (derived from the Latin word Patricius , meaning father figure). 4. He didn ’ t just return to Ireland as a missionary Patrick ’ s mission in Ireland was twofold. He was to minister to the Christians who already existed in Ire- land, as well as to convert the Irish who were not yet believers. Cleverly, Patrick used traditional rituals to bridge the gap between widely held pagan beliefs and Christianity, such as using bonfires to celebrate Easter, and creating the Celtic cross, which incorporated pagan symbols, to make it seem more appealing to venerate. He also performed baptisms and confirmations, converting the sons of kings and wealthy women – several of whom became nuns. He is widely believed to have become the first bishop of Armagh later in his life. 5. He probably didn ’ t banish snakes from Ireland Popular legend – dating back to the 7th century AD, would have it that St Patrick drove the snakes in Ire- land into the sea after they began attacking him during a period of fast. However, in all likelihood, Ireland probably never had snakes in the first place: it would have been too cold. Indeed, the only reptile found in Ireland is the common lizard. 6. Although he might have first popularized the shamrock As part of his teachings, Patrick is supposed to have used the shamrock as a way of explaining the doc- trine of the Holy Trinity, the Christian belief of three persons in one God. Whether or not there is truth to this remains unclear, but the shamrock was also supposed to have symbolized the regenerative power of nature. St Patrick has been associated with the shamrock more concretely since the 18th century, when the story first appeared in writing and people began to pin shamrocks on their clothes to celebrate St Patrick ’ s Day. 7. He was first venerated as a saint in the 7th century Although he was never formally canonized (he lived before the current laws of the Catholic Church with regards to this), he has been venerated as a saint, the ‘ Apostle of Ireland ’, since the 7th century. However, his feast day – in this case, the day of his death – was only added to the Catholic breviary in the 1630s . 8. He was traditionally associated with the color blue Whilst today we associate St Patrick – and Ireland – with the color green, he was originally depicted wear- ing blue robes. The particular shade (known today as azure blue) was originally named St Patrick ’ s blue. Technically today, this shade remains Ireland ’ s official heraldic color. The association with green came as a form of rebellion: as discontent with English rule grew, it was seen as a sign of dissent and rebellion to wear a green shamrock rather than the ordained blue. 9. St Patrick ’ s Day parades began in America, not Ireland As the number of Irish emigrants in America grew, St Patrick ’ s Day also became an important event to con- nect with them home. The first definite St Patrick ’ s Day parade dates back to 1737, in Boston, Massachu- setts, although new evidence suggests there may have been a St Patrick ’ s Day parade as early as 1601 in Spanish Florida. The large - scale modern - day parades that occur today have their roots in a 1762 celebration in New York. A growing Irish diaspora – particularly after the Famine – meant St Patrick ’ s Day became a source of pride and a way to reconnect with Irish heritage. 10. No one knows exactly where he was buried Several sites fight for the right to call themselves St Patrick ’ s burial place, but the short answer is no one knows exactly where he is buried. Down Cathedral is the most widely accepted location – alongside Ire- land ’ s other saints, Brigid and Columba – although there ’ s no hard evidence. 49
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