Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from the Jefferson County Post

Thursday, March 17, is Saint Patrick’s Day 2016, a cultural and religious holiday held on the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday officially celebrates the conversion of Ireland from paganism to Christianity in the 5^th century, when Saint Patrick was believed to have brought teaching to his homeland from his enlightenment after years of being a slave abroad. Saint Patrick’s Day has traditionally been more celebrated by the Irish diaspora than Ireland in particular, with parades reportedly becoming popular in America as early as the 18^th century. In addition to festivals and music, Saint Patrick’s Day is perhaps most known for the “wearing of the green” and shamrocks. This tradition is believed to symbolize the Holy Trinity in Irish Christianity, with each leaf of the shamrock representing a different aspect of the Trinity. Today, Saint Patrick’s Day is more popular than ever, with celebrations increasing across several nations, including Asia, Russia, and Ireland, itself. The holiday remains ever popular in Tennessee, due to the strong Irish roots that many citizens recognize.