It no longer matters if you are a Catholic or Irish when it comes to celebrating St Patrick’s day. Everyone is adopted Irish, or will claim they have it somewhere in their ancestry when the big day comes around. It has now become more a celebration of this little country of the coast of Europe. A testament to the diaspora of its people and the mark they have left on the world. People across the globe are celebrating their Irish descent or ties to Ireland. St Patrick is one of the world’s most prominent saints, and over seven million people are named after him. Many churches, including the famous St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, still bear his name.
The best way to celebrate is to get hold of some Mens Aran Sweaters from Shamrock Gift or give one to some you know. In Ireland, he is considered to have spent several years evangelising, introducing ‘thousands’ of individuals to Christianity. In the end, Patrick’s efforts in the face of the Druids were turned into an allegory in which, despite the fact that snakes were not known to inhabit the region, he is represented as having driven ‘snakes’ out of Ireland.
Tradition holds that he died on March 17 and was buried in Northern Ireland at Downpatrick. Many legends evolved over the following centuries and St Patrick has now become the foremost saint of Ireland. A selection of St Patrick’s Day gifts can be purchased from a number of retailers, from leprechauns to mugs, to t-shirts and novelty pieces for the entire family.