Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17.  The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of green.  But despite the fact that this day is commonly celebrated, many people wonder why it’s a holiday and why we even celebrate it.

“I have always wondered where the leprechauns come from,” saidfreshman Avery Miller.

St. Patrick was born as Maewyn Succat in the Roman colony of Britain around AD 387 to middle-class Christian parents.  He was kidnapped by pirates when he was 16, and then was sold into slavery in Ireland. Here, Succat learned Irish and the culture of the Druids.

“That’s horrible that he was kidnapped, I can’t believe there is such a brutal story behind the holiday,” said freshman Abigail Kapoor.

After Succat escaped from captivity, he returned to England in order to complete religious training, and then came back to Ireland as a missionary. He also changed his name to Patricius, or Patrick, once he became a priest. This name was derived from the Latin term for “father figure.”

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on the anniversary of his death, March 17.  Originally, this holiday served as an Irish feast day in the Roman Catholic Church to commemorate St. Patrick as a saint of Ireland.

Irish immigrants in North America passed on the tradition from generation to generation, which is why it is still celebrated today.

“I thought the holiday was about leprechauns—guess I was wrong,” said sophomore Ellen Efkarpidis.