St Patrick’s Day 2022
St Patrick’s Day also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick or in Irish La Fheile Padraig, sees a celebration of the heritage and culture of the Irish.
St Patrick’s Day commemorates St Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, a 5th century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. His father was a deacon, and his grandfather was a priest. He was captured by a group of Irish pirates and held captive for six years at the age of 16, during which time his spiritual development grew. Through his work as a shepherd, he strengthened his relationship with God which led him to convert back to Christianity. According to tradition Saint Patrick returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity where he evangelised the northern half of Ireland.
St Patrick died 17 March, and was buried at Downpatrick, but was never been formally canonised by a pope.
St Patrick Day is a social festival with parades and carnival, evoking traditional Irish music session and wearing green attire adorned in Shamrocks.
St Patrick’s Day is extremely popular in North America, Norway, Malta, Scotland, Japan, Montserrat, England, and even on the International Space Station with Irish-American astronaut Catherine Coleman playing a hundred-year-old flute in 2011. It is an international event with many famous landmarks such as Sydney Opera House, Sky Tower in Auckland lit up green to mark the occasion.