St. Patrick’s Day – The Irish Way

The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Maewyn (aka St. Patrick) was actually not even born in Ireland. Instead, he was born in Wales to an aristocratic Christian family around AD 385. Up until age 16 he considered himself a pagan. It was at that age that he was captured by Irish marauders and sold into slavery. During his captivity he converted to Christianity and adopted the name Patrick.

Fast-forward six years: Patrick escapes slavery and goes to study in the monastery under St. Germain. As the story goes, a voice comes to Patrick in his dream telling him that he must go to Ireland and covert the Irish to Christianity. And so, he does.

Patrick is soon appointed as second bishop to Ireland and spends the rest of his life traveling around Ireland, establishing monasteries, creating schools, and converting the Irish. He died on March 17 in AD 461 thus establishing St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day… Created in America?
St. Patrick’s Day has been recognized in Ireland for hundreds of years. Historically, the day would be celebrated by a feast and families would commemorate the acts of St. Patrick. It wasn’t until decades later that Irish-Americans, looking for a way to both honor the saint and celebrate their ethnicity, brought the tradition to America. They decided to amp up the celebration though – they began hosting parades, eating lavish feasts, dressing in all green, and drinking copious amounts of good Irish beer.

Soon, the new traditions took off. Nowadays you can find St. Patrick’s Day celebrations all over the world, but of course (in our opinion) the best celebration is in Ireland.

The Irish have taken to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day bigger and better than anyone else. The celebration in Dublin is undoubtedly the biggest, but you can also find parades, festivals, and more in Cork, Galway, and Limerick.

Be a Part of the Celebration
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is a once in a lifetime experience. However, justifying the expense of going all the way to Ireland for one celebration is a little difficult. Fear not! We have a solution – study abroad in Ireland. Set up a spring semester study abroad trip to ensure you are there in March. It’s a great way to expand your horizons, step out of your comfort zone, experience another culture, and be a part of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

What are you waiting for? Learn more about studying abroad in Ireland now!