This year, while I was contemplating this page, I decided to write about the obvious, something that rarely occurs to me! :) So, St. Patrick is what this year's page is about; enjoy!

In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday, rather like Easter and Christmas.

They have masses, dandy parades, community feasts, and more!

The American version of the celebration is held in Ireland as well, but more as a tourist attraction, and as for wearing green, well, any American school child will tell you that the wearing of green will help you to avoid a pinch, our unique addition to the holiday!

As for St. Patrick himself, who was he, and what is there to know about him? Well, we know that he was born within' a 20 year period, sometime between 370 and 390 A.D.

He was either born in Wales, or Britain, a few have even said Scotland, but that is considered less likely.

His name was very probably, Maewyn Succat, Patricius being his Romanicized name, taken on after he became a priest, later in his life, which explains the name, Patrick later on.

Son of Calpurnius, an army officer, a band of pirates landed in south Wales and kidnapped he, and other's, when he was but 16 years old. They were then sold into slavery in Ireland.

There he remained for 6 years. It was said that this is when he began to talk to God, and pray as he tended the sheep at night. It was also said that he either dreamed of having seen God, or that God actually spoke to him while he was awake, and that at that time he was told by, God to escape in a ship, which he did.

Ending up in France, the northern coast of Gaul, he joined a monastery and studied under St. Germain, the bishop of Auxerre. He spent around 12 years in training, and when he became a bishop he dreamed that the Irish were calling him back to Ireland to tell them about God.

It was documented in, The Confessio, Patrick's spiritual autobiography. There a dream was written about, telling how one Victoricus delivered him a letter headed "The Voice of the Irish."

People weren't sure that he was ready, but he set out for Ireland with the Pope's blessings after, St. Palladius, who had been appointed to go to Ireland, transferred to Scotland after only two years. Patrick was somewhere around middle age when he arrived in Ireland, and it was his personality that first won over the people he went to convert to Christianity. He was confident in the Lord, and managed to baptize with a great sense of purpose. Knowing how to have the elite accept and allow him in the countryside, he gave gifts to some of the kings and law, but never took any in return.

An active preacher, he even made key converts in royal families. But not everyone approved, and he was arrested several times, escaping every time!

In the 20+ years that he traveled throughout Ireland, he successfully established monasteries across the country; as well as setting up churches and schools, and developing a native clergy.

He died on March 17, 461 A.D. after retiring to, County Down, and the day has been commemorated as, St. Patrick's Day, ever since!

It was in Boston, in 1737, that immigrants really 1st shared the holiday with us publicly in America; though the Irish communities in various cities had celebrated the day much as they had in their homeland all along, with attending mass, social and community works, feasting, promoting their culture, charity work, and more!

Gradually other places followed Boston. It was New York that had the largest St Patrick's Day parade. Held since 1762, the New York City parade on St Patrick's Day now attracts more than one million spectators a year!

Chicago began coloring their river water green in 1962 when 100 pounds of green vegetable dye was added to the water, enough to keep it green for a week. It is still done, but now, 40 pounds of a green food coloring keeps the river green for only a few hours.

And while there is a deeper religious meaning to St. Patrick's Day, just as there is one for Easter, and Christmas, much the same as roasting chestnut's on an open fire, and dying eggs, this holiday is very much about joy; the fun of being Irish! The music, the twinkling Irish eyes looking for the green, shamrocks, dancing, delicious food, and remembering, or learning, all things Irish!

May you have:

A world of wishes at your command,

God and his angels close at hand;

Friends and family their love impart,

And Irish blessings in you heart!