St Patrick
St. Patrick's Day has, in recent years, become one of the most raucous and rowdy holidays of the year. Beer flows freely in every pub, green clothing is worn, kisses are stolen, and partygoers dance until dawn. This holiday isn't all about green beer however, and its deep history and roots are firmly imbedded in Irish culture.

St. Patrick's original name was Maewyn Succat, a pagan living in Britain in the fourth century. He was kidnapped by a band of pirates and sold to slavery in Ireland at the age of sixteen, where he worked as a shepherd. He turned to the Christian faith for solace during this time, and six years later he managed to escape to the Northern coast of Gaul.

There, he took on the Christian name of Patrick and studied at the monastery for twelve years. He came to believe it was his life's calling to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity, and at the age of sixty the opportunity came to him. It is said that Patrick had a uplifting, friendly and convincing personality, which greatly helped him on his mission. During this time he used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity, a symbol that would later become synonymous with St. Patrick and Ireland. It is also said that Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea, although this could be considered as the process of driving the paganism out of Ireland and letting Christianity rise.

St. Patrick died on March 17, in 461 AD. This day has since became known as St. Patrick's day, and is not only celebrated in Ireland, but at many other places throughout the world.