St Patrick's Day

Well, tomorrow is St Patrick's Day. I'm sure throughout your life you've learned that March 17th is a day that everyone wears green. But what else does the day mean? Well, this past Sunday, during Children's Group, we took an opportunity to explain the Christian significance of the day to our youth. (If you've never heard the story, I think you'll find it interesting.)


Perhaps the best-known legend of Saint Patrick involves the shamrock, the little plant that has gone on to become famous throughout the world as a symbol of Irish heritage.


After training as a priest and bishop, Patrick arrived in Ireland in 432AD and immediately set about trying to covert the pagan Celts who inhabited the island. Having previously lived and worked there, he was very probably already aware that the number three held special significance in Celtic tradition (and, indeed, in many pagan beliefs), and he applied this knowledge in a clever way.

He used the shamrock, a three-leaved clover which grows all over the island, to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity... ie the theory that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are each separate elements of just one entity.


As every pagan holiday approaches, you can research the historical Christian significance behind that date. Then, you can share that information with your family. That's a fantastic tradition to start with your loved ones!


The story of St Patrick taken from - http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/legend-of-Saint-Patrick.html.