Um pouco da história de St. PatrickA história do Santo Patrick é muito interessante e cheia de reviravoltas. Vamos a ela:
St. Patrick nasceu como Maewyn Succat no século IV, na Grã-Bretanha. Seus pais eram muito ricos e seu pai também foi um diácono cristão, por razões de incentivos fiscais. Quando Maewyn tinha cerca de dezesseis anos, sua família e sua casa foram atacadas por salteadores irlandeses. Maewyn foi seqüestrado e forçado a trabalhar como pastor em County Mayo, na Irlanda. Foi durante seu tempo como um escravo que virou-se para Deus. Predestinado, certa noite ele teve um sonho em que fugia e voltava para a Bretanha, e fez exatamente isso. No dia seguinte, fugiu e viajou as 200 milhas de volta à Grã-Bretanha. Depois que voltou, Maewyn teve outro sonho religioso, onde um anjo disse-lhe para se tornar um missionário e difundir o Cristianismo na Irlanda. Ele então passou os próximos quinze anos treinando para se tornar um sacerdote, e escolheu Patrick como seu nome santo cristão.
Em 432 dC, ele voltou para a Irlanda como padre, buscando converter o o povo irlandês – que era politeísta e adoravam o sol e a lua – pro Cristianismo. Criou e lecionou em várias escolas, na costa oeste da Irlanda. O seu método mais famoso de ensino era o uso o
trevo para explicar a Santíssima Trindade (o pai, o Filho e o Espírito Santo) para o povo irlandês. Depois de quase trinta anos de ensino e espalhando a palavra de Deus, morreu em 17 de Março de 461 dC. Logo após sua morte, a Irlanda decidiu lembrar a sua morte com um dia festivo e criou o St. Patrick’s Day, que com o tempo, ganhou o mundo.
A festa de St. Patricks e a cervejaSe hoje a festa de Saint Patrick é sinônimo de cerveja, nem sempre foi assim. No começo, era um dia de banquetes e almoços especiais, dedicados à lembrança do padroeiro, mas pouco a pouco se transformou numa ocasião religiosa, com missas e outras atividades durante o dia todo, e por acontecer na quaresma – período onde os católicos fazer jejuns e promessas disciplinares, em pouco tempo se tornou uma data para aliviar o desejo por uma boa cerveja durante os quarenta dias de quaresma e permitir-se outras indulgência, ganhando um perfil ainda mais festivo.
A cerveja que todos bebem neste dia é a famosa Guinness.
Versão em InglesSaint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."
Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.
There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city
Why Saint Patrick's Day?
Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.
In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!
*Tirado do site http://www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.html
