St Patricks Day- Should it be celebrated or not?

Well... this seems to be another debate starter, so, I want to know what everyone thinks...

How do you feel about St. Patricks Day?

Should It be celebrated? Why or why not?

Is this an evil holiday that celebrates the demise and killing of pagans?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Moonsmith on February 26, 2009 at 9:04pm: St Patty was a Bastard all right.....

But at least he wasn't a bloody bastard...Better the Divil ya know...
But the change was gonna happen anyway....better a native son than a usurping army....
I wear the green and the orange on this day.....even though I'm not Christian......but I stop at green beer......something just wrong with that....; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by tealasilverre on February 26, 2009 at 9:06pm: I guess me Irish is a comin' out. Heck Yea!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Donna on February 26, 2009 at 9:16pm: To St. Patrick

"We never left.
Coiled in silence, wrapped in patience, shrouded in wisdom we spiral-laid ourselves around the hills and tors
...waiting

Cloaked in watchfulness - untouched by boastful stride and zealous rage
we laughed within our barrow mounds
while you, so filled with ignorance and fear,
pronounced us dead and driven from the land.
...abiding

We were always there.
Bathed in moonlight, basking on sun-warmed stones
sliding through fern, leaf and herb
whispering the truth to listening ears
...remaining

Our names and forms were everywhere a secret jest
Carved upon the land,
entwined about the very pillars of their temples
Touched, caressed and known by countless hands
Whose hearts and souls were ever free - bathed in wise-blood
...remembering

Wheel, and cross and standing stone - mark ancient memories of truth
And we, revealed again at last and reveling--
tracing serpentine paths beneath your feet Rise from the caves and call our children to the spiral dance of hilltop, shore, and grove
...rejoicing

For we never left."

LhiannaSidhe - March 17th 2000

Yes, I celebrate St Patrick's Day, because it is actually the day of his death.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by DodiaFae on February 27, 2009 at 6:12am: Apologies for not having read all the responses before responding myself, but here is my understanding of the legend of St. Patrick (simplified):

There are differing stories of where he was actually from, but the Irish Celts did embrace him and Christianity when he began his mission in Ireland. Rather than accept Christianity as presented, they worked in their ways and made it something that was their own. It can be seen in the oldest churches in Ireland, where depictions of the old goddesses and gods still can be seen. So St. Patrick's introduction of Christianity didn't destroy the Irish Celtic civilization... it merely changed it.

Being part Irish, and having married into a VERY Irish family, there's just no way around celebrating St. Patrick's Day for me. And I don't mind. I rather enjoy it. :)

Of course, I still celebrate Easter and Christmas with the family, in addition to the Pagan versions of those (my husband used to have a "God Is Dead" party on Good Friday each year, back when we didn't have other responsibilities.) We even still celebrate Valentine's Day to an extent. What's not to love about a holiday dedicated to love? Even if it is a Hallmark holiday?

There are holidays, however, that I won't celebrate, which have been relegated to "bank holidays"... Columbus Day is most definitely one of these.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by silverphoenixwillow on February 27, 2009 at 9:28am: St. Patrick was a bishop in Ireland. In his prime, his name was Maewyn; upon sainthood he was converted to Patrick. During the early years of Maewyn’s life, he was pagan. It was after his capture into slavery that he converted to Christianity. At 16, his village was raided and he was sold to slave traders. Six years after becoming a slave, he escaped and set out to share the message of God. Spreading the message caused Patrick to become arrested several times, but along the way he set up numerous schools and churches.

The commemorated day, March 17th, is the day of his death, in the year 461 A.D. The festivities our culture embarks on are far from the original purpose of the day. For instance, we see shamrocks as luck. Patrick used the shamrock as a representation of the Trinity.

so he was a pagan, but then converted.. do you think of the 4 leaf clover of being lucky?
i think many do,, but its not a pagan observance; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Idelle on February 27, 2009 at 9:29am: Again, What is EVIL? What is good! Evil spelled backwards is..LIVE! Other than that, no, I don't celebrate St.Patricks day! I am Jewish,lol! I am also a witch! Nothing mixed up with that. Ask Madonna! She studies the Kabala, which is the Highest learning in the Jewish Religion! It's chock full of MAGIC! All kinds! It has long been abandoned hundreds of years ago by the Hebrew people, because they were afraid, that it might get out of hand! Madonna studies with a Rabbi! Many Rabbis will not teach it! I can't say for others about st. Patricks day! I have fun on Christmas, because it can be a fun Holiday! I don;t have to celebrate it, but I choose to! I believe in:"whatever turns you on, as long as you don't hurt an animal or a child!....Blessed Be, The Blessed are...Idelle; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Blackbird on February 27, 2009 at 9:40am: I too celebrate the day because time has brought many changes and while I am an Irish Pagan myself the fact remains that Ireland is now happily Christian. This didn't change the fact that the country still acknowledges its rich history and I do not simply apply the teachings of old, but embrace Ireland as it is today...as the people of Ireland do. And come on! Green beer and shamrocks everywhere? Who could ask for more?

Just my 2 cents on that subject.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Donna on February 27, 2009 at 11:30am: OK--I need to correct myself on an earlier post--had my facts back-asswards. Patrick was kidnapped by the Irish on August 24, 410AD, and taken to Ireland. That is where he "found God" in captivity. Upon his arrival home--he wanted to go back to Ireland and spread the word to those he actually came to love during his captivity.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cat D on February 27, 2009 at 2:13pm: Meh... I already celebrate the days, not the.. uh... reasons? I'm honestly kinda apathetic about it (new topic); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Celticlass on February 27, 2009 at 4:45pm: After just returning from Ireland,I can tell you they are looking forward to it,great excuse for a party......for pagans? Frankly,I'd say no...look at the history.......; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lady Tourana on February 28, 2009 at 12:15pm: I do think that this is NASTY holiday and rather than celebrating it with the wearing of green we should all wear white arm bands...I am half Irish and half German, and I have always thought the day was a joke from the Irish side of my body. I cant understand how any Irishman worth their salt would celebrate a day that encourages the rest of the population to show their "irish" by getting drunk on green beer.

But the Irish Pagan that I am gets hot when I come across greeting cards in Walmart that talk about how wonderful it was that St Patrick brought light to us ignorant savages.

What would they do if we celebrated the one who started the natives on the trail of tears...or better yet how about hitler for killing jews...or even the romans and their murder of christians.....Seems like a slap in the face to me.
Regardless of anyone else's opinion, I know I personally will NOT celebrate that holiday with anything other than mourning for my lost brothers and sisters...

Lady Tourana; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Blackbird on February 28, 2009 at 12:21pm: While I respect your opinion...I do have to ask - who are you mourning and what do they have to do with St. Patrick?

Lady Tourana said:
Regardless of anyone else's opinion, I know I personally will NOT celebrate that holiday with anything other than mourning for my lost brothers and sisters...

Lady Tourana; ▶ Reply to This