General Interest - As we celebrate this famous Irish holiday, it is a good idea to recall what the hoopla is all about.  St. Patrick's Day conjures up visions of shamrocks, leprechauns and over-indulgence.  But what is the holiday really all about?

Who was St. Patrick?  You may have heard that he was the priest who drove the snakes from Ireland but that is a falsehood born out of the tale-spinning culture of the Irish.

Patrick was born in Scottland around 385 A.D. to a father that was a Christian decon.  At the age of six he was abducted by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity.  During this time Patrick became a devout Christian and received a message from an angel to convert the Irish to Christianity.

Soon after, Patrick escaped and returned to Britian.  He received another message to return to Ireland as a missionary.  Patrick studied for fifteen years and became an ordained priest.  He was sent back to Ireland to support the existing Christians and convert the Irish.

The famous Celtic Cross was his invention derived from the Irish ritual of honoring their gods with fire.  The circle at the center of the cross represents the sun.

St. Patrick is believed to have died on March 17th 461 A.D., giving us our day of celebration.