Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

I am sure the History Channel History of St. Patricks Day is getting slammed right now, with the google fancied up logo linking to a search that puts it paramount in the results, but its still there and its an interesting and timely read.

St Patricks Day is celebrated on Patricks birthday, March 17. Patrick was a Christian religious leader who had visions and heard voices. These were of course direct from God.

And many centuries later, we all get drunk and use lame accents on the anniversary of his death. (And its notable that the drunk part came later as marketing as well, the Irish govt only allowed pubs to be open in the 20th century, they were before that closed in observance of the religious holiday, they were opened literally to market Ireland and tourism to the world.)

Basically, and this is my own incredible oversimplification and slanted viewpoint about to spew forth, Patrick is famous for marketing Christiantity to the heathen Irish folk.

Patrick was British, not Irish, his fathers estate was attacked by "Irish Raiders" who took him as their prisoner to Ireland. The visions began in prison. Patrick was first told by got to get the hell out of wretched Ireland, so he walked 200 miles to the coast and somehow escaped back to Britian. Then god told him to return to Ireland and convert the Irish to Christiantity. This is his claim to fame, being a missionary in Ireland.

Patrick was a marketing genious. He saw the pagan rituals of the Irish and incorporated things like bonfires and the Sun from their non Christian worship into Christianity. (He is credited with inventing the Celtic cross, a cross with a Sun in the middle).