I am very weak in all religions and therefore was surprised to read that the Church in Russia will celebrate every year on March 30 the Day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. This decision was made in early March 2017 at a meeting of the Holy Synod in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow.
What have Ireland and Russia to do with it? For some reason I associate Saint Patrick with alcohol and with something green.
Let's find out in a little more detail what's what …
March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - National holiday in Ireland, which has been celebrated around the world for many years. But St. Patrick's Day also has pagan motives. So, one of his indispensable heroes are leprechauns - fabulous shoemakers who own a hidden pot of gold. If a lucky treasure seeker manages to catch a leprechaun, then this creature must tell the person where his treasures are hidden. However, if you suddenly catch a shoemaker, then remember that you should not completely believe him - these little men are malicious and mischievous and can easily deceive a gullible treasure seeker.
It is said that leprechauns entered the celebration of St. Patrick's Day quite recently - companies that sell postcards for this holiday needed a cute character to appear in the drawings. And the stern, albeit kind, preacher Saint Patrick was not quite suitable for this role. In the drawings, leprechauns are usually dressed in a pointed hat and a leather apron. Traditionally, St. Patrick's Day parades are held. People dressed in extravagant costumes, as well as brass bands, which cannot do without the famous bagpipes, take to the streets. Popular rumor has it that this tradition was born in Ireland. New York and Boston contested the palm. New Yorkers claim that the first parade took place in 1762 in their city. Then Ireland was ruled by the British, and it is quite possible thatthat the inhabitants of the rebellious North American colonies thus expressed their solidarity with them.
The Russian Orthodox Church decided to include in the months "St. Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland," as well as some other saints from Western countries who lived before the final division of the church into the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church (this event, which went down in history as the "Great Schism", happened in 1054). Thus, St. Patrick's Day from this year is officially present in the official church calendar of the Moscow Patriarchate, however, it falls on March 30 - just like, for example, Christmas, it was decided to celebrate it according to the Julian calendar. In addition, the names of the Monk Genevieve of Paris, Bishop of Paris Saint Herman, Martyr Victor of Marseilles, Martyr Alban of Britain and other Western European saints were included in the month.
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and Nigeria, most of the information about whom is gleaned from his own autobiographical works.
Promotional video:
And here are some possible misconceptions regarding this Saint Patrick:
March 17 - the day of death
Saint Patrick is a saint of the Catholic Church, a feast in honor of which is celebrated on the day of his death and ascension to heaven, and not on his birthday. For most of his earthly life, Patrick converted the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. Saint Patrick died on March 17, 461 AD.
Was not irish
Although today St. Patrick is considered the patron saint of Ireland, he himself was not Irish, and was not even born on the Emerald Isle. Patrick's parents were Romans and lived in the territory of modern England, or rather, in Scotland or Wales (scientists cannot agree on where exactly). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians, and the Christian religion was rapidly spreading throughout Europe.
Slavery
At the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish robbers who sold him into slavery. He lived in Ireland for several years, tending sheep, and at the age of 22 he managed to escape. After that, he reached a monastery in England, where he spent 12 years.
Shamrock - a symbol of the Holy Trinity
Many argue that the shamrock represents faith, hope and love, but it was actually used by Patrick when he taught the Irish about the Holy Trinity, that is, using the example of the shamrock, he explained how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can be separate persons and at the same time as a whole. Obviously, the pagan rulers of Ireland found Patrick convincing because they quickly adopted Christianity.
Expulsion of snakes from Ireland
According to legend, Saint Patrick drove all snakes (or in some translations "toads") from Ireland. In fact, there is no evidence that snakes existed in Ireland at all, as the climate there is too harsh for them. Some scholars suggest that the term "snakes" may be figurative and refer to pagan religious beliefs and practices.
Not green … Blue
In fact, blue is associated with Saint Patrick, and not green, as is commonly believed. In a number of works depicting the saint, you can see his blue robes. King Henry VIII was the first to use a golden harp on a blue background as the flag of Ireland. Since that time, blue has become a symbol of the country.
Green began to be associated with the country much later, presumably due to its green landscapes (Ireland has a very high rainfall). Today the country is also known as the "Emerald Isle".
The shamrock is not a symbol of Ireland
The shamrock is a popular Irish symbol, but it is not a symbol of Ireland. Already in the Middle Ages, the image of a harp appeared on Irish tombstones and manuscripts. However, scholars believe that the harp was popular in Irish legends and culture even long before this period. During the medieval period, the harp symbolized Ireland.
King Henry VIII used the image of the harp on coins as early as 1534. Later, the harp was used on Irish flags and Irish coats of arms. The harp was also used as a symbol of the Irish people during their long struggle for freedom. When Ireland became an independent country in 1921, the harp became a national symbol.
More Irish people in the US than in Ireland
It is estimated that about 34 million Americans are of Irish descent. Some of them are purebred Irish, meaning they or their parents came from Ireland, but many more are of mixed ancestry today. In Ireland itself, only 4.2 million people live.
This is explained by the "potato famine" in Ireland, when millions of Irish people left the country, emigrating to the United States. The migration of the Irish continued throughout most of the 19th century.
St. Patrick's Day in Russia
For Orthodox believers, a new holiday will fall on Great Lent. However, the Church assumes that on this day people will not dance and drink, but still go to services and pray. Archpriest Alexander Sorokin, chairman of the information department of the St. Petersburg diocese, rector of the Feodorovsky Cathedral in the soldering of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov: “Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick - in Slavonic. The veneration of this saint in the Russian Orthodox Church did not begin today. And not even the day before yesterday. And very long ago, when our churches were still a single whole, the Eastern and Western churches."
March 17, until 1970, did not drink
In addition to the color green, St. Patrick's Day is associated with alcoholic libations and beer in particular. However, in Ireland from 1903 to 1970, St. Patrick's Day was considered a religious holiday. All pubs were closed during the day. This was canceled in 1970 when St. Patrick's Day was classified as a national holiday.
However, today beer parties on this day have become a tradition and, moreover, in some areas of Christianity on this day restrictions associated with fasting are relaxed and alcohol is allowed.
And how will it be interesting for us to relate to beer libations on this holiday?