KELLY SOLUTIONS

Yes! You read and see it correctly! It’s “Paddy” not “Patty’s” Day. This long debated topic is going to be finally put to rest. You see, Paddy is the shortened version of the traditional Irish spelling of Patrick, which is actually Pádraig (Pah·drehg). Patty is often used as the shortened version for Patricia.

Great! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this article! St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday where people can become Irish for the day even if you are not truly Irish. Originally, the holiday was meant to honor Ireland’s patron saint, but did you know that St. Patrick wasn’t originally from Ireland? 

St. Patrick was born in Britain and according to Confessions of Saint Patrick, he was captured and enslaved for six years by Irish pirates. After six years of enslavement, he escaped his captors and fled to a port two hundred miles away where he persuaded the captain to take him aboard. He was presumed to have made landfall in Britain after three days of sailing.

St. Patricks tale continues of his continued study and devout following of the Christian Religion. According to tradition, he returned to Ireland years later as a missionary where he was not welcomed by the locals and was forced to sail further North of the Irish coast and landed in the islands off the Skerries coast which still uses the name of Inis-Patrick. 

Just to really throw you some curveballs about St. Patrick, about the holiday, and general Irish culture, here are some interesting facts.

• The idea that St. Patrick rid Ireland of its snake problem is a complete myth. There were no snakes for him to banish.
• The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in America in 1601.
• The Irish were once scorned in America.
• Corned Beef and Cabbage was created in America due to the Irish living in impoverished conditions.

But nowadays all around the world, St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture and tradition. So join in on the fun and have a great time!