IN SEASON
According to Patrick ’ s writing , he was told in a dream by a voice he believed to be God ’ s telling him it was time to leave Ireland . He escaped , reportedly walking 200 miles to the Irish coast . Once back in Britain , he reported having a second dream in which an angel told him to go back to Ireland as a missionary . Patrick studied religion for more than 15 years and , upon becoming an ordained priest , returned to Ireland to both minister to Christians there and to spread Christianity in a largely pagan culture . Contradictory to popular notion , he was not the first person to bring Christianity to Ireland . He was , however , very successful at growing Christianity in Ireland .
According to the National Geographic , until the 1970s , St . Patrick ’ s Day in Ireland was a minor religious holiday . It was a day of feasting , and families simply celebrated with a big meal . The first St . Patrick ’ s Day parade in America occurred during the Revolutionary War . Irish soldiers fighting for the British marched in New York City in 1762 and is now tradition . Leprechauns are part of Irish folklore that have made their way into the celebration somehow , though they were reported to wear red , and not green . They are said to be mischievous shoe makers who , if caught , might grant you three wishes for their freedom . They have nothing to do with St . Patrick himself , or course .