Saint Patrick is an Irish legend. American beer soup

(late 4th century - 5th century)

Most of what we really know about the life of St. Patrick comes from his surviving writings (Confession, Letter to Coroticus, Shield of St. Patrick prayer, a few others) and from verse hymns written soon after. his death. Relatively little is known about St. Patrick for certain - but many legends remember him, describing his miraculous deeds.

Patrick was born (then his name was Sukkat) around 387, in Britain. He was, as he himself writes, the grandson of a Christian priest and the son of the deacon Calpurnius, who belonged to a noble family and was a Roman decurion (official rank). He was from the Britons, and the boy's mother, a close relative of St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of Gaul, was from the Franks. At the age of sixteen, the saint was driven into slavery from his father's estate. The attackers on the estate (these were the exiled sons of the British king) killed his father, his sisters went missing. Saint Bede the Venerable tells that in those years all the British soldiers went to Rome on the orders of the Roman authorities in order to defend the city, leaving their lands defenseless. This led to many iniquities and dangers in those parts. Patrick was sold into slavery in Ireland, where he remained in obedience to the owner until he fled, fulfilling the command received in revelation from God. And then he often received such revelations from Victor, the angel of God, who often appeared to him in the form of a bird.

In bondage, the saint was tending sheep in solitary places, mountains and forests. There, contemplating creation, he learned to believe and pray, growing in love for God. St. Patrick became a true man of prayer, reaching the heights of prayerful contemplation. Through his faith-filled prayers, God often worked miracles. May the Lord grant us, through the intercession of St. Patrick, the gift of prayer and love for it, like those with which He endowed His illustrious servant.

Although the saint himself writes that he fled, legends tell that he did not want to leave without the permission of the owner. The same demanded as a payment for freedom an ingot of gold, the size of the head of Patrick himself. Angel Victor then ordered the young man to follow the wild boar, which dug this ingot out of the ground. When the saint reached the coast, where, according to the angel, a ship was waiting for him, there, according to hagiographic stories, the owner of the coast seized him and again sold him into slavery. But God punished the villain - when he and his household looked at the copper pots received in payment, their hands stuck to the metal tightly. The unlucky businessman repented, was forgiven by Patrick, bought him out of slavery and provided him with money for the journey. The legend says that when he returned, already a bishop, the saint baptized him. After a long journey, described in the Confession, the saint returned to his native land.

There the same angel again appeared to him in a vision and commanded him to return to Ireland with the preaching of Christ. But first he had to get an education. To do this, the saint went to Gaul (present-day France), where he studied under the guidance of St. Herman, Bishop of Auxerre (who ordained him a deacon under the name of Patrick) and the monks of the monastery of St. Honorat on Fr. Lerins (near present-day Cannes in Provence), one of the strongholds of the monastic life of Gaul. Soon St. Germanus, going to Britain to fight the heresy of Pelagius (who believed that a person himself, only by his own deeds and without the grace of God, achieve salvation), took with him St. Patrick, his disciple. Together with a group of priests, they went around Britain, refuting heresy and returning people to God, performing great miracles of healing. It is said that one day St. Patrick invited St. Herman to fast, in order to convert one of the cities that had fallen into heresy. However, the city did not convert, and at the end of the third day of fasting, the earth opened up and swallowed it. The place where the Saints and their companions fasted later became the traditional place where local priests gathered for fasting. During this journey, St. Herman often not only fought heresy, but also converted local rulers to Christ, which subsequently served as an example for the Irish mission of St. Patrick himself.

As a result of his training, St. Patrick learned everything that was necessary for his future mission. The saint had a special love for the Word of God - this is evidenced, for example, by his "Confession". In this short narrative, he explicitly or implicitly alludes to Holy Scripture about two hundred times. May the Lord grant to today's Christians the same love for His Word, His Church and His will.

St. Patrick knew from visions that he was to go preaching to Ireland. In order for this to come to pass, he travels to the then Bishop of Rome, Pope Celestine, who blesses the mission. Ordained as a bishop, St. Patrick goes to Ireland, where he arrives in 432. He spends all subsequent years of his life in wanderings, converting and baptizing people by the thousands. Usually, at first, following the example of his teacher, St. Patrick tried to turn one or another clan into the leader, and the rest followed his example. The Lord gave him the gift of a great miracle worker, as the lives and legends tell. Many people, having heard his sermon, not only received baptism, but also completely devoted their entire lives to Christ, becoming priests and monks.

The saint who claimed, of course, had to resist pagan beliefs and endure clashes with supporters of paganism. On his way to the capital of Ireland, Tara, to preach there at Easter, the pagan king ambushed him in the forest. The saint and all his companions along the way sang a hymn-prayer, composed by him, which is now known as the "Shield of St. Patrick" or "The Deer's Prayer". And a miracle happened - the soldiers, instead of the clergy, saw only a deer herd passing by. According to the life, before his death, the angel promised the saint that this prayer would always protect those who read it with faith from evil.

Then the pagan holiday was just approaching and by decree of the High King Loegaire it was forbidden to light any fires before the ritual pagan fire in Tara lit up. However, Patrick and his companions lit a huge fire near the capital in honor of Easter. "If this fire is not extinguished tonight," the druid priests told the king, "it will never be extinguished." By order of the king, the soldiers tried to put out the flames and kill the saint, but they did not succeed in either, because they were protected by the power of God. In the morning, St. Patrick, in full dress and accompanied by a procession of his companions, set out for Tara. There he spoke of God the Trinity, holding up a clover shamrock to explain his faith to the Irish. Despite the resistance of the pagans, the high king was forced to allow Patrick to preach throughout the country. It was a great day in her history. The prophecy of the Druids came true - the fire of faith, lit by Patrick, no longer died out, and the clover shamrock later became one of the symbols of Ireland.

Lives and legends describe many other miracles performed by St. Patrick. Some believe all these stories, others - not all, but one thing is certain - God always accompanies a person who, with faith and selflessness, devotes himself to the fulfillment of His will. For God, as St. Patrick believed, and as we believe, nothing is impossible.

St. Patrick died in 493, having previously received Holy Communion from the hands of a fellow priest. They say that the place of his death was all surrounded by singing birds, and many thought that they were the angels of God, who took the form of birds, as the angel Victor, who came to the saint in visions, did.

It is believed that St. Patrick compiled his "Confession" shortly before his death, feeling its approach. Her unpretentious style will help us to really get to know Saint Patrick and, in his own words, "understand the desire of his heart."

May the Lord Almighty, for Whom there is nothing impossible, through the prayers of St. Patrick, also in these days grant His Church saints, ministers and teachers like him in spirit, so that they lead people to Christ, who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

For example, once he was visiting the house of the leader of one clan, who accepted the true faith along with his household. The young Benignus (Benin), son of the leader, was especially captivated by the teachings of the Gospel and the meekness of the saint. When St. Patrick slept, he collected fragrant flowers and surrounded his bed with them. With the permission of his father, he followed the saint, and was always with him, becoming his disciple, and after the death of the saint, heir to his episcopal see.

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - Ireland's national holiday, which has been celebrated around the world for many years. And recently, at a meeting of the Holy Synod in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, it was decided that the Russian Orthodox Church would celebrate the day of this saint every year on March 30th. In this review, little-known and very curious facts about this Saint, whose day is celebrated without much holiness.

1. March 17 - the day of death

Saint Patrick is a saint of the Catholic Church, whose feast is celebrated on the day of his death and ascension to heaven, and not on the day of his birth. For most of his earthly life, Patrick converted the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. Saint Patrick died March 17, 461 AD.

2. Wasn't Irish

Although today Saint Patrick is considered the patron saint of Ireland, he himself was not Irish, and was not even born on the Emerald Isle. Patrick's parents were Romans and lived in the territory of modern England, or more precisely, in Scotland or Wales (scholars cannot agree where exactly). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians, and the Christian religion was rapidly spreading throughout Europe.

3. Slavery

At the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish robbers who sold him into slavery. He lived for several years in Ireland tending sheep, and at the age of 22 he managed to escape. After that, he reached a monastery in England, where he spent 12 years.

4. Shamrock - a symbol of the Holy Trinity

Many claim that the shamrock represents faith, hope and love, but it was actually used by Patrick when he taught the Irish about the Holy Trinity, i.e. using the shamrock as an example, he explained how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can be separate persons and at the same time as one. Obviously, the pagan rulers of Ireland found Patrick convincing, as they quickly converted to Christianity.

5 Driving Snakes From Ireland

According to legend, Saint Patrick drove all snakes (or "toads" in some translations) out of Ireland. In fact, there is no evidence that snakes even existed in Ireland, as the climate is too harsh for them. Some scholars suggest that the term "serpents" may be figurative and refer to pagan religious beliefs and practices.

6. Not green... Blue!

In fact, blue is associated with Saint Patrick, not green, as is commonly believed. On a number of works depicting the saint, you can see his blue clothes. King Henry VIII was the first to use a golden harp on a blue background as the flag of Ireland. Since that time, blue has become a symbol of the country.

The color green began to be associated with the country much later, presumably due to its green landscapes (Ireland has a very high rainfall). Today, the country is also known as the "Emerald Isle".

7. Shamrock is not a symbol of Ireland

The shamrock is a popular Irish symbol, but it is not a symbol of Ireland. Already in the Middle Ages, the image of a harp appeared on Irish tombstones and manuscripts. However, scholars are certain that the harp was popular in Irish legend and culture even well before this period. During the medieval period, the harp symbolized Ireland.

King Henry VIII used the harp on coins as early as 1534. Later, the harp was used on Irish flags and Irish coats of arms. The harp was also used as a symbol of the Irish people during their long struggle for freedom. When Ireland became an independent country in 1921, the harp became a national symbol.

8. There are more Irish people in the US than Ireland.

It is estimated that about 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry. Some of them are full-blooded Irish, meaning they or their parents came from Ireland, but many more people today are of mixed ancestry. Only 4.2 million people live in Ireland itself.

This is explained by the "potato famine" in Ireland, when millions of Irish people left the country, emigrating to the United States. Irish migration continued throughout much of the 19th century.

9. St. Patrick's Day in Russia

By the way, this year the Russian Orthodox Church also decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. But not today, but on March 30 (17th according to the old style). For Orthodox believers, the new holiday will fall on Great Lent. However, the Church assumes that on this day people will not dance and drink, but still go to services and pray. Archpriest Alexander Sorokin, Chairman of the Information Department of the St. Petersburg Diocese, Rector of the Feodorovsky Cathedral on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty: “ Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick - in Slavic. The veneration of this saint in the Russian Orthodox Church did not begin today. And not even yesterday. And quite a long time ago, when our churches were still a single whole, the eastern and western churches».

10. March 17, until 1970, did not drink

In addition to the color green, St. Patrick's Day is associated with alcoholic libations. However, in Ireland from 1903 to 1970, St. Patrick's Day was considered a religious holiday. All pubs were closed during the day. This was abolished in 1970 when St. Patrick's Day was classified as a national holiday.

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It is best to be in Dublin on this day, of course! And you can start acquaintance with this city by looking.

The Apostle of the Far West, Saint Patrick (Patrick), was born in Britain around 383 into a Gallo-Roman family that had long since converted to Christianity. His father Calpurnius was a deacon and at the same time acted as a decurion. He had a prosperous estate, and he allowed his son to spend the first years of his life frivolously, not at all caring about divine things.

When Patricius was 16 years old, he, along with many other inhabitants of the district, was taken prisoner by pirates. They sold it to Ireland to a landowner who instructed Patricius to guard his flocks in the mountains. The harsh conditions of exile in these foreign lands, which were almost completely dominated by paganism, as well as communion with nature, turned his heart to God. He began to lead a life full of repentance, spending days and nights in prayer on his knees on the ground frozen or wet from the rains, and did not experience any suffering, so his soul was full of divine comfort.

After six years of captivity, which turned into heavenly bliss, one night he heard a voice that said to him: “You did well that you fasted and prayed. God heard your prayer. Now go, return to your homeland: a ship is prepared for you!” Having completely trusted, he then made an escape and, having walked at random more than 320 kilometers, reached the port and boarded the ship of pagan merchants.

Three days later they landed in a desolate and unknown land and went in search of some settlement. They wandered for almost a month, tormented by hunger, and finally asked Patricius to turn to his God to save them. As soon as the young Christian raised his hands, a herd of pigs immediately appeared - people were able to kill several animals and get enough. After various disasters, Patricius managed to reach his homeland, where he was again captured by pirates, but two months later he regained his freedom, as he had previously been predicted.

When he returned to his father's house, he had a vision: a certain heavenly man named Victoria appeared before him and showed him a bundle of letters. He opened the first and read: “Voice of Ireland! Holy boy, we beseech you to come again and walk among us.” Patricius then heard the voices of people from the forest of Phoclutes, where he spent the years of his captivity. Feeling the call of God in this, he decided to prepare himself for the enlightenment of these barbarians. To do this, he had to complete the church education, which he could not receive in his early youth. He went to Gaul, lived in various monastic centers, including Lerins. Saint Patrick spent about 15 years in Auxerre under the spiritual guidance of Saint Germanus (Comm. 31 July), who ordained him a deacon.

When Saint Herman returned from a trip to Britain, where he fought the Pelagian heretics (429), he again faced an urgent task: to find missionaries for Ireland. A little earlier, Pope Celestine I (431) ordained the deacon of the Roman Church, St. Palladius, as a bishop, so that he would organize and manage the Christians scattered throughout Ireland. Palladius immediately encountered great difficulties, founded only three churches, and after a few months was overtaken by death. Therefore, Saint Patrick received consecration as a bishop from the hands of Saint Herman, in order to bring the light of truth to the barbarians of Ireland. Indeed, he was well equipped for this task, not only because he was called by God, but also because he knew the language and customs of these tribes. Remembering the sins of his youth, he did not dare to accept ordination, but a new vision confirmed him that such was the will of God.

At the head of a small number of clerics, he landed on the island in the very place where St. Palladius had sailed. Saint Patrick immediately went to a large meeting, which was regularly arranged by the leaders of the clans. Before fierce warriors, he delivered a bold sermon about Christ. He managed to convert some of the elders, and after them, people from their tribes. The missionaries received plots of land to establish churches and monasteries there. Saint Patrick traveled all over Ireland, especially its northern regions, tirelessly proclaiming the word of God. As a rule, he first addressed the heads of clans and kings. That is how he was able to convert the kings of Dublin, Munster and the seven sons of the King of Connacht.

The preacher, however, faced opposition from the druid priests, who used witchcraft against the apostle. But Patricius, calling on the power of God for help, made them powerless and even converted some to Christ. The new converts then became pious elders, zealous in enlightening their brethren.

After preaching in the kingdom of Oriel, he founded a monastery at Armag, which later became the archiepiscopal see of Ireland. It was from this monastery that his long missionary trips began. Patricius resisted violence, threats and dangers of any kind with complete disregard for his life and crossed these inhospitable lands, allowing God to speak through him to people. The preacher did not attach any importance to his own abilities, and despite the fact that he neglected the laws of rhetoric, his speech, saturated with quotations and references to the Holy Scriptures, had the divine power to bring people to Christ. Among those subjugated by the preaching of St. Patrick were, in addition to ordinary people, also bards-filides. The bards were one of the highest castes of the Celtic society in Ireland, the keepers and interpreters of the sacred oral traditions of the people, and in their position were close to the pagan priests. They, having become monks, gave their poetic talents to the service of the Good News. Their chants were so beautiful that angels were said to bow down from heavenly heights to hear them.

For the organization of the new Church, Saint Patrick ordained priests and bishops, treating with respect and wisdom the original character of the Irish people. The chairs of his bishops were, as a rule, located not in cities, but in monasteries, which, with the next generations, flourished and turned Ireland into a new Thebaid. Many monks, courageous missionaries and tireless travelers came out of them, who made a significant contribution to the new enlightenment of Europe with the Good News after the barbarian invasions.

Saint Patrick never neglected the daily rule of prayer, whether he was in one of these episcopal monasteries or on a journey. The rule was to read aloud the entire Psalter, along with all the biblical songs, as well as other inspired texts such as the Revelation of St. John the Evangelist. Every hour of the day he made the sign of the cross a hundred times, and when he met the sign of the cross along the way, he got off the wagon and prostrated himself before him. On missionary journeys, he could be killed more than once by his opponents, but the angel of the Irish Church delivered him from danger for the benefit of the believers.

Knowing personally the suffering caused by slavery, Patricius became the protector of the population, subjected to attacks by pirates. He excommunicated Koroticus, the leader of the Britons, who, having landed on the lands of the tribe baptized the day before, killed some of the new converts, and captured others for sale into slavery. A few months later Shorty, who refused to repent, was stricken with insanity and died in despair.

After almost 30 years of episcopal ministry, Saint Patrick, who was already 80 years old, wrote in his "Confession": "I confess this before my Lord and feel no sense of shame in His presence: from the time I knew Him in my youth, the love of God grew in me, and until this day, by the grace of the Lord, I have kept the faith ... He, who so often forgave me my stupidity and negligence in response to what the Holy Spirit inspired in me, will have mercy on me thanks to thousands and thousands of people, because He saw that I was in His power. May it be the will of God that my children excel me in sublime deeds and in the fruits of salvation! This will be glory to me, because a wise son pleases his father (Prov. 10:1). My beloved, I have been looking for you, not for your riches. What was given to me for free, I also distributed: to you - your blessings, and to myself - fatigue and dangers, and I went to you and everywhere for you, and even to those regions where no one had ever come to baptize. By the grace of God for the sake of your salvation, I endured everything in sobriety and generosity ... Christ the Savior became poor for us, and I, poor and unfortunate, every day expected that they would kill me, that I would fall into a trap or be enslaved, but thanks to heavenly promises, I was not afraid of any of this, giving myself into the hands of Almighty God, who chose me for this task ... How will I repay Him for all His good deeds towards me? And if I managed to do any good deed for my God whom I love, let no one say that it was done by such an ignoramus as I am, but it was a gift of God. I asked Him to allow me to shed my blood for His name: even if I were deprived of a grave, and my corpse, torn to shreds, would be left for food for birds and prey for predatory animals.

Before his repose, which God announced to him, Patricius undertook the last trip in order to check on church affairs. Seeing a bush on the side of the road that was burning without burning, he approached and heard the words of an angel telling him, among other promises, that he would judge the Irish people in the last days.

On March 17, 461, the saint arrived in the town of Saul, in the region of Ulad (Ulster). There he rested in peace, accompanied by the hymns of the heavenly hosts. The body of Patricius was placed on a wagon drawn by two wild bulls. They stopped at a certain place, which was later named Down Patrick. A grave was dug for him there.

Thanks to the labors of St. Patrick, Ireland flourished as a Christian land and quite deservedly began to be called the Island of Saints. Here he is warmly revered as their chief protector. More than 200 churches are dedicated to Saint Patrick. His veneration is widespread throughout the West.

Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius Simonopetrsky,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House

Attention! Copyright! Reprinting is possible only with the written permission of the author. . Copyright infringers will be prosecuted in accordance with applicable law.

St.Patrick 's Day

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, the national Irish holiday that has become popular all over the world. It is believed that every person on this day can become an honorary Irishman - if he only wants to.

Saint Patrick - who is he?

The official version says that, presumably, on March 17, 415 AD in Wales, a boy, Maewyn Succat, was born into a family of Roman citizens Calfurnius and Conchessa. Mavin's father was a small landowner and deacon of the local church, but he held this position mainly for money, so young Patrick was not particularly deeply religious.

At about the age of 16, he was captured by pirates and brought to Ireland, where he fell into the service of a leader named Milchu. Young Patricius was forced to become a shepherd and spent days on end with a herd of sheep. It was then that he believed in God and began to pray.

The young shepherd fled and reached the coast, he begged the sailors to take him on board, assuring that his family would pay the expenses, but the captain refused. Then Patrick, as the legend says, began to pray again, and the captain suddenly changed his mind and accepted the passenger.

Once home, Patrick, despite the joy of the family, who again found a son, firmly decided to take the spiritual path. He met the French Bishop Germanus (Saint-Germain), who strengthened him in this endeavor. And later he returned to Ireland as a missionary on behalf of Pope Celestine I.

In Ireland, he is revered as a saint who brought the Christian faith to Ireland. True, Christian monasteries existed before him, but ... apparently, no one before him could reach the harsh hearts of the descendants of the Celts and Druids. He died, again - presumably - on March 17, 493.

Unofficially, Patrick's birthplace is Bannaviem Taberniae. Historians wonder where to look for this estate or county, they put forward a different point of view regarding the location of this county. It could be the territory of Ancient Britain, and the territory of Scotland, or maybe even some kind of western country. Nobody knows.

No one knows the date of his return to Ireland, it is not known whether he was alone or came with his comrades. And, finally, was the shamrock brought by Patrick to Irish soil, or was this flower attributed to the saint only after his death? Some scholars dare to suggest that St. Patrick as such did not exist, but, most likely, it was a group of three monks.

And they were not the first missionaries in Irish land. Before them, there were already records of the appearance of the first missionaries, for example, the name of the British Celt Congar, who is associated primarily with the holding of the first Christian Liturgy in the history of Ireland, is known. A little later this event will be attributed to St. Patrick.

Other legends

There is a story about another missionary, Paladius, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in 380, but he did not please the Church and was excommunicated from it. Most importantly, he bore the title "Patricius"! Paladius had a follower, also from the Celts - Zukat. And he also bore the title "Patricius". The biography of this monk is like two drops of water similar to the biography of St. Patrick.

Historians also recall another Paladius, who was engaged in missionary activities, but was not a monk. That is, Patrick, quite possibly, is not a specific person, but a collective image of several missionaries who left a noticeable mark on the history of the Christianization of Ireland. And the name of Patrick is not a name at all, but a Roman title, which over time acquired the meaning of a name.

However, be that as it may, many legends are associated with the name of St. Patrick, for example, that he used a three-leaf clover (shamrock) to explain to people the concept of the Holy Trinity. “Just as three leaves can grow from one stem, so God can be one in three persons,” this phrase of the saint has already become christomatical.

In Ireland, there is a tradition to attach a shamrock leaf to clothes, symbolizing the cross, the color of Catholicism, and the symbolic color of the "emerald country" itself. There is also a church hymn, which tells that St. Patrick, with the help of a shamrock, interrupted a pagan ritual that was performed in the village of Tara, the royal capital of Ireland at that time.

They say that somehow the druid Lokru began to offend the saint, and with him the whole Christian faith in the most inappropriate terms. Naturally, a devout Christian could not endure such blasphemy and prayed to the Lord with a request to punish the pagan. Suddenly, Lokru was lifted into the air, and then fell to the ground, crushing his head on a stone.

Holy Mountain Crow Patrick

Once during Lent, Saint Patrick fasted for forty days and nights on the top of Mount Crow Patrick. God was afraid that he might die and leave his life's mission unfinished, so he asked Patrick to stop fasting.

He agreed to this only on three conditions: the Irish should not live permanently under oppression, the country would be flooded seven years before the end of the world to avoid destruction, and that Patrick himself should be allowed to judge everyone on the last day. After that, this mountain was called Croagh Patrick.

Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims, many of them on bare feet, climb the holy mountain "Croagh Patrick", 765 meters above sea level. Tradition says that it was on this mountain that St. Patrick performed one of his miracles - he commanded snakes from all over the Irish land to gather at his feet, and then drove them out.

According to legend, one large and cunning snake did not want to leave the Emerald Isle. The saint had to resort to cunning. He built a big box and told the snake that there was no way she could fit in it. The stubborn reptile succumbed to a sense of contradiction and began to argue with the missionary. As soon as the snake climbed into the box, the saint quickly covered it and threw it into the sea.

Perhaps the legend exaggerates something. But there is a real fact - there are no snakes in Ireland (although skeptics say that they were never born there).

Ireland - Isle of Saints

Thanks to the mission of the saint, Ireland became the "Isle of Saints", the land of monks and the homeland of missionaries who carried the light of Christianity to other countries. There are indications that they reached the lands of present-day Russia.

From the writings of St. Patrick, his autobiography has been preserved - "Confession", one message and a prayer "Shield of St. Patrick" ("Supplication of a deer"). According to legend, the Saint read this prayer when he walked with his disciples past the ambush set by the pagan king, wanting to interfere with the mission of Patrick. Instead of travelers, the soldiers in ambush saw only a herd of reindeer passing by. By pious conviction, one who faithfully repeats this prayer of the saint will be protected from all evil.

Saint Patrick is one of the most revered Saints in the world. The Western Church celebrates his memory on March 17, in a number of Orthodox Churches his memory is honored on March 30 according to the new style (March 17 according to the old style).

Leprechauns

But St. Patrick's Day also has pagan motives. So, one of his indispensable heroes are leprechauns - fabulous shoemakers who own a hidden pot of gold.

If a lucky treasure hunter manages to catch a leprechaun, then this creature must tell the person where his treasures are hidden. However, if you suddenly catch a shoemaker, then remember that you should not completely believe him - these little men are malicious and mischievous and can easily deceive a gullible treasure seeker.

It is said that leprechauns entered the celebration of St. Patrick's Day quite recently - companies that sell postcards for this holiday needed a cute character that could appear in the drawings. And the stern, albeit kind, preacher Saint Patrick was not quite suitable for this role. In the drawings, leprechauns are usually dressed in a pointed hat and a leather apron.

Happiness on St. Patrick's Day can be found in another way - you just have to find a four-leaf shamrock. Such a leaf of clover always brings good luck, but on St. Patrick's Day such happiness is doubled. It is not clear what to do to the inhabitants of the northern countries, where this holiday falls on the cold beginning of spring, when there is no clover in the meadows.

Traditionally, parades are held on St. Patrick's Day. People dressed in extravagant costumes take to the streets, as well as brass bands that cannot do without the famous bagpipes. Popular rumor says that this tradition was born in Ireland. But it seems that this is not entirely true.

In any case, New York and Boston contest the palm. New Yorkers claim that the first parade took place in 1762 in their city. Then Ireland was under the rule of the British, and it is quite possible that the inhabitants of the recalcitrant North American colonies expressed their solidarity with them in this way.

But since then, one of the most magnificent festivities on this day has been held in New York. Boston, the most Irish city in the United States, gets only 1802. Although, some argue that the first St. Patrick's Day celebration was organized in the United States by the Irish Mercy Association of Boston, in 1737.

Currently, hundreds of millions of people around the world celebrate the St. Patrick's Day festival parade. On this day the whole world - from Dublin to Sydney and from New York to Moscow and St. Petersburg - becomes Irish.

Irish people and their friends remember national music and dances, performances and cheerful celebrations. But above all - parades with a procession of brass bands, extravagant costumes, folk art and laughing faces.

On St. Patrick's Day, every American turns into an honorary Irishman, everything around turns green, even that which cannot turn green in principle. Bars serve green beer, shops sell green bagels, and in Chicago they go even further and dye the water in the river green.

But in Spain it goes unnoticed, with the exception of the cities of Lorca and Murcia - because in 1452, on March 17, on St. Patrick's Day, Christian knights from Lorca and Murcia defeated a detachment of Mauritanian knights from Muslim Granada at the Battle of Alporchon. According to many historians, it was from this time that the last stage of the conquest of Christian lands from the Muslims began, which ended in 1492 with the surrender of Granada.

King Castilian Juan II of Spain gave Lorca the title of Noble City and his own coat of arms. And as a sign that the victory was won on St. Patrick's Day, Pope Clement VII blessed the construction of St. Patrick's Church in Lorca, which to this day is one of the main attractions of the city.

On St. Patrick's Day it is supposed to drink at least a glass of alcohol in some Irish bar: on this day all bars become Irish, and all musicians become Irish. You can arrange a competition (without abusing) glasses of drink, in honor of St. Patrick and the Emerald Country.

There is a so-called "Patrick's Cup" - a unit of measure for whiskey that was drunk on St. Patrick's Day. Tradition prescribes that before drinking a glass of whiskey, it is necessary to put a leaf of "shamrock" (sour) in the glass. Since then, the people say "Drain the Shamrock" ("Drowning the shamrock").

In Ireland itself, the St. Patrick's Day parade is held in more than 30 cities, including the main parades taking place in Cork, Galway, Limerick and, of course, Dublin with its grandiose festivities.

It's funny that in Ireland this holiday was considered exclusively religious for a long time, and until the seventies of the last century, Irish laws ordered all pubs to close on March 17!

Now, festive processions are taking place on the main streets of Dublin, live music is playing in the pubs. Residents of the city put on red wigs and green caps that are sold in stores, take pots of shamrock (one of the symbols of Ireland is a four-leaf clover) and national flags. And in the evening they arrange fireworks and fireworks. The holiday is always held in unrestrained fun.

The parades in honor of St. Patrick are stretched and scattered like the Irish themselves, who are scattered all over the world.

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Annually March 17 is Saint Patrick's Day- the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday of St. Patrick has long gained great popularity far beyond the borders of the Emerald Isle. On March 17, part of the inhabitants of Argentina, Great Britain, Russia, the USA, Japan and other countries become “a little Irish”.

Saint Patrick. How it all began.

At the end of the IV century. in Britain, which was then under Roman rule, a son was born in the family of Roman citizens Calfurnius and Conchessa - Mavin Sukkat, whom the whole world later recognized as St. Patrick. Despite the fact that his father was a deacon of the local church, Mavin was not an adherent of the belief in one god in the early years of his life. Saint Patrick was captured by pirates when he was 16 years old. He was sold into slavery in Ireland, where he herded cattle for six years.

It was there that he came to the Christian faith. According to legend, God showed him how to escape from captivity, thanks to which Mavin returned to Britain, having spent some time before that in the monasteries of Gaul (modern France). In Britain, he had a vision that ordered him to return to Ireland to convert its inhabitants to Christianity.

Mavin returned to Gaul, where he completed his education, was ordained a deacon under the name Patrick, and was later elevated to the rank of bishop. Pope Celestine II blessed Patrick for the Christianization of Ireland, and in the 30s. 5th century the future saint began his mission.

It is believed that the peculiarity of the establishment of Christianity in Ireland was that it was accepted almost bloodlessly through the efforts of Patrick.

There are many legends associated with the personality of St. Patrick and his activities as a missionary. So, it is believed that it was St. Patrick who brought writing to Ireland, and also expelled all the snakes from the island. There really are no snakes in Ireland. Scientists explain this fact by the fact that during the period of the spread of snakes across the territory of various continents, Ireland was already an island. In addition, the legend of how he explained the dogma of the Trinity to the pagans on the example of a clover leaf (God is one in three persons, like three leaves growing from one stem) has become widespread. It is also believed that for the firmness of faith, God promised Patrick that Ireland would go under water 7 years before the end of the world in order to avoid grief and disasters, and that the saint himself would judge the Irish on the Day of Judgment.

Patrick died on March 17, 493 (according to another version, 461) of the year. He was canonized before the division of the Church into Western and Eastern, therefore, as a saint, he is revered in both. However, veneration in Orthodox churches is of a local nature, since the issue of general veneration has not been resolved. Besides Ireland, St. Patrick patronizes Nigeria, since Christianity was preached there mainly by Irish missionaries.

Saint Patrick is the national holiday of Ireland.

The Irish began to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a kind of national holiday as early as the 10th-11th centuries, not only in Ireland, but also in other European countries where there was an Irish diaspora.

At the beginning of the XVII century. this day was included in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The church celebration is postponed if the saint's memorial day falls on Holy Week (the week before Easter). A secular holiday in almost all countries is held on March 17, in some it stretches for several days.

In 1903 St. Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland.

In the same year, a law was passed ordering the closure of bars and pubs on March 17 due to excessive drinking by citizens (the law was repealed in the 1970s). Subsequently, March 17 became a public holiday in Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canadian province), as well as on the island of Montserrat (an island in the Caribbean, UK territory).

There are many different traditions associated with the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, both Christian and folk. For example, Christian traditions include the annual ascent of pilgrims to the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick, on which the saint prayed and fasted for 40 days. It is also considered a Christian custom to attach a shamrock to clothes on this day.