Local Interest
Colleen Winterburn
I realise it isn ’ t March yet but thought I would plant the idea now so proprietors have some time to think about what they would like to do for St . Patricks Day , we may even run a competition for the best theme restaurant / bar in Vung Tau .
Every year on March 17 , the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St . Patrick ’ s Day . What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades , dancing , special foods , and a whole lot of green . St . Patrick , the patron saint of Ireland , is one of Christianity ’ s most widely known figures . But for all his celebrity , his life remains somewhat of a mystery . Many of the stories traditionally associated with St . Patrick , including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland , are false , the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling .
Who is St Patrick ?
It is known that St . Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century . He is believed to have died on March 17 , around 460 A . D . Although his father was a Christian deacon , it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family . At the age of 16 , Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family ’ s estate . They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity . During this time , he worked as a shepherd , outdoors and away from people . Lonely and afraid , he turned to his religion for solace , becoming a devout Christian . ( It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity .) After more than six years as a prisoner , Patrick escaped . According to his writing , a voice — which he believed to be God ’ s — spoke to him in a dream , telling him it was time to leave Ireland . To do so , Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo , where it is believed he was held , to the Irish coast . After escaping to Britain , Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation — an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary . Soon after , Patrick began religious training , a course of study that lasted more than 15 years . After his ordination as a priest , he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission : to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish . ( Interestingly , this mission contradicts the widely-held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland .) Familiar with the Irish language and culture , Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs . For instance , he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honouring their gods with fire . He also superimposed a sun , a powerful Irish symbol , onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross , so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish . Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived , most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion . The Irish culture centred around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth . When this is considered , it is no surprise that the story of Patrick ’ s life became exaggerated over the centuries — spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life .
24 The MAG Vung Tau