This day marks the death date of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It was made an official feast day in the early 17th century and commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations include parades and the wearing of green or shamrocks. It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and is widely celebrated elsewhere including the United Kingdom and United States. There are many big parades held in places like New York, Chicago and London. Since 2010 many landmarks are lit green like the Eiffel Tower, and the river through Chicago was dyed green.
Saint Patrick was a 5th century Romano-British Christian missionary and Bishop in Ireland. Much of what is known comes from the Declaration, which was allegedly written by Patrick himself. It says that at the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. It says he spent 6 years there working as a shepherd and that during his time he found God. God told him to flee to the coast where a ship would be waiting for him to take him home. After making his way home, he became a priest. He then returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. His efforts turned into an allegory in which he drove snakes out of Ireland, despite the fact that snakes were not known to inhabit the region. Tradition holds that he died on 17th March and was buried at Downpatrick.
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