To many of us, it's just a day to dress in green and to show pride about our heritage (or about the heritage of people we know!). But the day really stands for so much more. Take a look into the life of Saint Patrick:

Saint Patrick was born around 387-390 A.D., probably in Scotland. His given name was Maewyn Succat, and he died around 461-464 A.D. When he was just 14-16 years old, he was kidnapped and shipped to Ireland as a slave.

He was often sent to the mountains as a shepherd, where he spent most of his time in prayer. After six years of living this difficult lifestyle, Maewyn had a dream. In the dream from God, he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. He found some sailors who took him back to his homeland, where he reunited with his family.

Again later, he had another dream. In this dream, the people of Ireland were saying, "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

After that, he began his studies for priesthood. He was then later sent to take the Christian Gospel to Ireland.

He preached in Ireland for over 40 years, and wrote about his love for God in his book, Confessio. Many say he suffered a lot in his life. After years of poverty and following God, he finally passed away. He has believed to have died and been buried in Saul, where he built his first church.

The Church honors Saint Patrick because he was a modest, religious, kind man, who loved and was devoted to God. He wasn't afraid of anything, not even death, because he had complete faith in God and the importance of his mission.

Saint Patrick made the clover an icon of Ireland. He used the shamrock to explain the Catholic concept of the Trinity, and this little green plant has been associated with it and the Irish ever since. He compared each leaf of the clover to one part of the Trinity. (Father, Son and Holy Spirit.)

St. Patrick is also known for "driving the snakes out of Ireland." They think this is why there are no snakes there.

Another thing to consider is the date of St. Patrick's Day. Many believe that March 17 is the day he died, and with the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses are closed on this day in places like Ireland and Britain.

One final speculation is The Blarney Stone. People believe that if you kiss this stone, you will have good luck. It doesn't really have anything to do with St. Patrick's Day, but it is Irish!

So I hope you all have learned a little about St. Patrick! Happy Saint Patty's Day!

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