GREEN – GREENER – ST PATRICK’S DAY

17th of March, keep that day free because St Patrick’s Day is on and we can’t wait! Dress green and enjoy your day!

Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day celebrates Saint Patrick, a saint of the Catholic Church, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. But why do we run this feast exactly on the 17th of March? This particular date is St Patrick’s holy day, the day of his death, and subsequent entrance to heaven, rather than focusing on the day of his physical birth. The fun fact is that St Patrick was not even from Ireland, his parents were Roman citizens living in England. What brought him to Ireland was more a misfortune than purpose, when at the age of 16 he was kidnapped by Irish people, selling him as a slave. The following years he worked as a shepherd until he could finally escape at the age of 22. From then on, he spent his life living in a monastery, growing closer to God.

St Patrick’s Day is well-known, hyped all over the world, nevertheless there are still a few things we tend to mix up a little.

That St Patrick’s Day is not only about drinking and being dressed in green is not the only misunderstanding. Furthermore, the real colour of St Patrick is actually blue not green, as commonly believed. St Patrick was initially drawn wearing blue vests, considering early artworks. The colour green was associated with Ireland later, presumably because of its massive green countryside. On top of that, the shamrock doesn’t stand for faith, love and hope, but for the trinity of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit. St Patrick used the shamrock to symbolize that all of these thee elements are separated, yet one and the same.

Next Tuesday, we can certainly expect lots of shamrocks decorating the city, but that’s not all Sydney has to offer: St Patrick’s Day will see Australia’s most passionate Irish representing the Celtic culture. Expect wandering through the streets of the city centre, a nice place to go is famous Irish pub P. J. O’Brien’s that serves traditional Irish breakfast and lunch, bringing it to the maximum with Irish Dance performances.

Be inspired by upcoming St Patrick’s Day, next Tuesday, an occasion full of fun, tradition and culture.