Who Is St. Patrick Of Ireland And Why Is He Important?

St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But although St. Patrick's Day is now celebrated all over the globe, few know about the life and story of Ireland's patron saint.

St. Patrick was born in Britain near the end of the 4th century and had wealthy parents, according to History.com. Kidnapped from the villa of his father, Calpurnius, at the age of 16 by Irish raiders, Patrick was taken to Ireland, where he had been a slave for six years.

He was away from people for most of his time as a slave as he worked as a shepherd, leading him to turn to his faith for solace. Patrick eventually became a devout Christian during his time in captivity.

After dreaming about a voice—which he believed to be God’s— telling him to escape and acting on it, Patrick managed to flee his master, walking nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where he was said to have been held, to the Irish coast. He managed to find passage to Britain, where he then had a second dream about returning to Ireland as a missionary, per Britannica.com.

Shortly after the dream, Patrick underwent religious training for 15 years before he was ordained a priest. He then returned to Ireland and journeyed for miles to baptize and confirm people as part of his mission to convert the Irish to Christianity.

Although his mission was initially met with resistance, St. Patrick was able to further the spread of Christianity, making him one of the most celebrated figures in the religion. Toward the end of his life, he retired to Saul, where he may have written his spiritual autobiography "Confessio." He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D.

Plenty of myths have spread about St. Patrick's life -- the most popular one being that he explained the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock, according to BBC. He was also said to have driven the snakes of Ireland into the sea to their destruction.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on his feast day, every March 17, though it has grown to encompass all things Irish rather than just his work. In the U.S., it was believed that the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston in 1737, but historians said St. Augustine in Florida may have held a parade more than a hundred years earlier on March 17, 1601, The Washington Post reported.

Popular St. Patrick's Day recipes include Irish soda bread, corned beef, and cabbage and champ. People can also often be seen wearing shamrocks and green clothing on the holiday.

A prominent icon of the Irish holiday is the leprechaun, otherwise known as “lobaircin” or “small-bodied fellow.” Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns are known for their skills in trickery which they often use to protect their much-fabled treasure.