Scroll down to the end of this post for my St. Patrick's Day recipe video!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Wait... who is St. Patrick, why was he made a Saint, and what does he have to do with green things, shamrocks, and leprechauns? Scroll down and read to find out! And please leave me a comment if you like it or would like to learn about something else! This post contains affiliate links. What is St. Patrick’s Day All About? Most people know that sometime in March everyone dresses up in green and wears shamrocks and there are pictures of leprechauns and things about. A lot of people, though, don’t really know what St. Patrick’s Day is all about. The truth is that St. Patrick was a real person who was born sometime in 387 AD in Great Britain when the Roman Empire occupied it. Patrick’s real name was Padráig, but people gradually changed his name to Patrick. Padráig’s (or Patrick’s) parents were Christians, and they taught him from the Bible. Patrick became a Christian, as well. When Patrick was about sixteen years old, he was kidnapped by pirates and brought to Ireland to be sold as a slave. Ireland, (also called the Emerald Isle) was at that time full of pagan, war-like tribes. Patrick was sold to a man called Milchew, who made him tend sheep. Although Patrick was treated very badly, he didn’t forget his faith, and he prayed that God would deliver him. One night, after having been a slave for six years, Patrick had a dream. In his dream, he saw an angel who said to him, “Get up and run away! There is a ship waiting for you in the harbor to take you back to England.” Then Patrick woke up. He believed that the dream had come from God. Patrick knew that the harbor was more than two hundred miles away, but he got up, and started running. When Patrick arrived at the harbor, there was indeed a ship waiting for him. He sailed back to England, and was reunited with his family! As Patrick grew older, he began to study to be a Catholic priest like his father. Many years later, he had another dream, and he knew that God wanted him to go back to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick obeyed and went to Ireland again. When Patrick arrived in Ireland, the first person he met was the chief of a village nearby. His name was Deechu, and he didn’t want any strangers coming into Ireland bringing in new religion. Deechu blocked Patrick’s path and refused to let him pass. Patrick began telling him his story and why he had come back. Then he began telling Deechu about God. Deechu got very angry at Patrick and tried to pick up his spear to kill him, but when Deechu tried to lift his spear he found that he couldn’t move his arm! Later Deechu became a Christian and he helped Patrick meet the other chiefs of Ireland. Deechu gave Patrick an old barn as a present, and Patrick turned it into the very first church in Ireland. When Deechu and others became Christians, they had trouble understanding the Trinity. “How could God be one and three at the same time?” they asked. Patrick saw a shamrock on the ground and he picked it up. He explained the Trinity to them using the shamrock as an example. “This is one leaf,” he said, “with three parts, just like the Trinity is one God, with three persons.” That helped the people understand better. Patrick lived and worked with the tribes of Ireland for forty years. He died on March 17 in the first church he had built from Deechu’s barn. A long time later, Roman Catholic leaders made him a saint. He is now called “the Patron Saint of Ireland,” though we know the Bible teaches all Christians are saints of God. Today, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day every March 17 with green things (because Ireland is very green) and shamrocks, to remember the Trinity. The leprechauns came in to the St. Patrick’s Day celebration because they are traditional Irish creatures from fairy tales. In the United States, the fountain in front of the White House and the Chicago River are dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day! Many Catholics go to church and have a mass, too. Many people also have a traditional Irish meal of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and soda bread. The next time someone says “Happy St. Patrick’s day,” or you see shamrocks decorating a window in a shop, remember St. Patrick, and who he was and how he went back as a missionary to the very same people who’d kidnapped him! Maybe someday God will call you to be a missionary, so be ready!
We used to have a very good childrens book with beautiful pictures about St. Patrick. (I think we left it in India along with a lot of other books for the people there.) Anyway, here's a link to buy it on amazon. Or at least you can put it on your wishlist.
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St. Patrick's Day treat
Irish Cream Trifle Dessert Recipe
Source: hoosierhomemade.com Prep15 minCook30 minTotal45 min Serving: 1 Ingredients
Mix brownies and sprinkle with Andes Mint Chips, bake and cool Combine vanilla pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cups Irish Creamer {you can use more creamer if you want, just decrease milk, you need a total of 2 cups} Mix well and place in fridge to set After the brownies {or cake} have cooled, cut into pieces and place in a dish, poke with a fork and pour Irish Creamer over, place in fridge about 10 minutes Place a layer of brownie in the bottom, top with pudding mixture, sprinkle with chopped Andes candies or chips, add Cool Whip, and sprinkle with Andes mint chips or green jimmie sprinkles Repeat layers depending on the size of dish you are using
1 Comment
John P Wilkinson
4/6/2018 10:38:00 am
I an named after St Patrick. My middle name is Patrick. My Grandfather Was Patrick.My Uncle Was Patrick and My god Father was Patrick. My Mothers father was born in Irland
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