Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! We are off to celebrate with some friends playing games (probably Settlers of Catan) and eat some food and of course drink some beer (black and tans anyone?).I always thought St. Patrick's Day was a unique holiday- as it seemed to apply to a very specific demographic more than others. Plus- I always thought that ridding Ireland of snakes was an unusual reason to honor someone (don't get me wrong... I think getting rid of snakes is a fantastic idea). So I looked into it.Saint Patrick was born in Britain surprisingly enough but held captive in Ireland when he was sixteen. After he escaped though he was converted to Christianity and then return to Ireland as a missionary... which is where the snake legend originated. The snakes symbolizing paganism. Interesting huh?They believe that he passed away on March 17, 461 with little pomp- and it wasn't for a couple decades that he was named a Saint and legends of his ministry spread. One of the biggest legends turned tradition was his use of a 'shamrock' to explain the Holy Trinity- so Irish Christians wore a shamrock to honor him which then later turned into the tradition of wearing green. Traditionally St. Patrick's Day was a feast of tradition Irish foods, beer, and dancing. :)If you are feeling celebratory and need something festive, check out my free printable bottle labels you can download and print!via History.com