St Patrick example essay topic

329 words
Patrick was born about 390 AD in Scotland. As a youth he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland. He escaped six years later and fled to Gaul. After several years of monastic life, he returned to Ireland in 432 AD as a missionary to the people there. Legend has it that he drove all of the snakes out of the country. It is said that he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity; hence its strong association with his day and name.

St. Patrick is a hero in Ireland. In fact, there are about 60 churches and cathedrals named for him in Ireland alone. One of the most famous cathedrals is St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. These grounds bear the mark of the place where St. Patrick baptized his converts. Green is associated with Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. The Shamrock symbolizes the cross and blessed trinity.

Before the Christian era it was a sacred plant of the people of Ireland because its leaves formed a triad. The well known legend of the Shamrock connects it definitely to St. Patrick and his teaching. Preaching in the open air on the doctrine of the trinity, he is said to have illustrated the existence of the Three in One by plucking a shamrock from the grass growing at his feet and showing it to his congregation. Leprechauns are also associated with Saint Patricks Day. According to the legend, the Leprechaun is an Irish fairy.

It is told that Leprechauns are unsociable, unfriendly, live alone. Also, they make shoes and possess a hidden pot of gold. The legend says if the Leprechaun is caught by a treasure hunter then he must tell where the treasure is, unless the Leprechaun can trick the hunter and vanish.