ST PATRICKS DAY 2025
On Sunday 16 Mar 2025, 15 members of the Penrith RSL Pipes and Drums played at the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade in Sydney City. It was a great event and opportunity for the band to give back to the community.
SNAKES, LEPRECHAUNS AND POTS OF GOLD: Why do we celebrate St Patrick’s Day?
Don your green, grab a Guiness and get ready for a great afternoon. It is St Patrick’s Day.
But who was St Patrick, and why do we celebrate all things Irish on this day?
Although considered the patron sailt of Ireland, contrary to popular belief, St Patrick was not Irish, nor was his name Patrick.
In the late 300s AD, “Patrick” was born in the Britain town of Banna Venta Berniae. Evidently, his birth name “Maewyn Succat” was not to his pleasing and over the years he adopted many aliases including Magonus, Succetus, Cothirthiacus and Patricius. The last of his pseudonyms was later morphed into Patrck, a name now closely linked to Irish culture.
Although he was raised by a Christian father, St Patrick rejected religion. Or he did until Irish pirates captured and enslaved him. After six years of being forced to work as a shepherd, Patrick converted to Christianity.
While in Ireland, Patrick learnt to speak Irish and was immersed in the culture. However, it wasn’t long before he sought to flee the country and return to Britain.
His ventures were unbsuccessful, once again captured - this time, by the French.
Eventually he was released and finally returned home where he continued to study Christianity.
After a vision told him that his mission in life was to introduce Christianity to the Irish, Patrick packed his bags once more and set his sights on Ireland.
Initially, his teachings weren’t well received and he was forced to relocate to a small island off the mainland. It was here where he began to amass followers.
Eventually moving back to the mainland, Patrick continued preaching Christian ideals and before, his death on March 17, 461AD, he had baptised thousands and helped form hundreds of churches.
Legend says St Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland, however, this has been discredited as a myth as fossil collections and animal records indicate snakes never inhabited the country in the first place.
St Patrick, however, may have been the one to popularise the three-leafed shamrock. In his pursuits to spread Chrisianity, it’s rumoured he adopted the symbol to communicate ideals of the Holy-Trinity - The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit -to people of Ireland.
In Celtic mythology, the number three was a sacred number, a reference to the often depicted triple aspects of Irish gods and goddesses, as well as the ancient triple spiral “triskele” symbol. Patrick’s usage of the shamrock and number three may have helped gain favour with the Irish throughout his conversion endeavours.
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE ST PATRICK’S DAY
St Patrick’s Day began as a religious holiday known as “Feast Day”. The festival was held on the anniversary on St Patrick’s death and celebrated the life of the patron saint, chiefly for his introduction of Christianity to Ireland.
As more people began to migrate all around the world from Ireland, the festivities swelled and is now a holiday integrated into cultures around the globe, including Australia where Sydney hosts a festival and parade.
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