{"id":1174,"date":"2013-03-15T16:28:48","date_gmt":"2013-03-15T20:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/dca\/?p=716"},"modified":"2013-03-15T16:28:48","modified_gmt":"2013-03-15T20:28:48","slug":"happy-st-patricks-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/dca\/2013\/03\/15\/happy-st-patricks-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy St. Patrick’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

“May your thoughts be as glad as shamrocks,
\nMay your heart be as light as song,
\nMay each day bring you bright, happy hours,
\nThat stay with you all the year long.”<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the Roman Catholic feast day of the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick died on March 17, 461.\u00a0He was born in Roman Britain. He was kidnapped into slavery and brought to Ireland.\u00a0 He escaped to a monastery in Gaul (France) and converted to Christianity. He went back to Ireland in 432 as a missionary. While Christianity had already taken hold in the country, tradition has it that Patrick confronted the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites, making Christianity more widespread.<\/em><\/p>\n

Patrick became a bishop and after his death was named Ireland’s patron saint. Celebrations in Ireland were understated though. When the Irish emigrated to the U.S., they created the bigger celebrations and parades known today.\u00a0 Eighteenth century Irish soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War held the first St. Patrick Day parades. The celebrations became a way for the Irish to connect with their roots after they moved to America.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/em><\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n