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Show St. Patrick's Day On March 17 St. Patrick's day is celebrated as the national festival of Ireland and its observance is more or less general among Irishmen Irish-men and their descendants through ' out the world. The date is said to be that of St. Patrick's death, but even the year is not known, although al-though it is thought to have been about 469 A. D. Three noted Patricks are said to have flourished in Ireland during this period, and accounts concerning concern-ing them are so obscure and confusing confus-ing as to cause some doubts as to whether St. Patrick was a real or only a legendary personage. According to tradition, however, St. Patrick was born in Britain and played an important part in introducing in-troducing Christianity into Ireland, Ire-land, after six years in slavery into which he was sold by hostile Scots, who abducted him at the age cf abou tl6. Finally making his escape, he decided de-cided to devote his life to the conversion con-version of the Irish. His mission as a priest began about the year 425, and he became a bishop about 441. His ministry is said to have been attended with much success, hence his designation as Ireland's patron saint, although not an Irishman himself. Among the traditions connected with St. Patrick is that he used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. Another, entirely fanciful, is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Whatever the truth about these matters, the living fact is that the name of St. Patrick is revered by Irishmen the world over, who commemorate com-memorate him by "the wearing ol the green" on each 17th day of March. |