As a child you're taught that Saint Patrick's day is just an Irish holiday. You're not really told what it is, what the history is, or anything like that. All you know is that for some reason when you walk into your first grade classroom, all the furniture is flipped upside down and there are glittering shamrocks everywhere, and your teacher says that it "Must have been the leprechauns!"In church, they pretty much do the same thing, although they're less inclined to say leprechauns are about, but instead praise the saint for being so saintly. But why is he considered a saint in the churches eyes?
Well, I finally got curious.
After doing some research I learned that Saint Patrick is known for the "miracle of driving all the snakes out of Ireland." However, due to the geography of Ireland, it has never had any snakes on it. How can someone perform a miracle, when there was no miracle to be performed? Curiosity.
Doing further research I found it, and it all suddenly made perfect sense to me. Saint Patrick did not drive slithering, scaled reptiles from Ireland, but instead he did something far different. He was the marking point of when Christianity entered Ireland and began driving out, wiping out, and converting the pagans.
You see, "snake" was a term often used for pagans back in the day, likely in relation to the snake whom tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, causing snakes to be viewed as sinful, vile, untrustworthy creatures that should be feared, hated, and killed. As such, since Christianity is determined that their god is THE ONE AND ONLY, all other forms of worship were looked upon as evil, and against THE ONE AND ONLY GOD, and must therefore be eradicated.
Saint Patrick was the one to start this, effectively beginning the extinction of the Druids of Ireland, as well as much destruction of the Old Ways, much of which is now forever lost in time due to this. Within two-hundred years of Saint Patrick's arrival and beginning of this destruction, paganism was all but wiped from the face of Ireland.
So, why this avatar? Well, I have decided that Saint Patrick's day is a low blow to pagans everywhere, especially those whom follow the Celtic paths. I myself am I very proud pagan and the Celtic path happens to be a very large part of my spirituality and practice. I am also very proud to be nearly half English and half Irish and only the fifth/sixth generation here in America. I have always felt very deeply for my Irish roots, and when I learned the truth about this holiday I was appalled as an Irish-blooded pagan.
To express my disagreement I decided I would create an avatar that was an Irish snake, to represent people like me, as some pagans will do on Saint Patrick's day (they will wear something with a snake symbol on it, be it a pendant, ring, t-shirt, earrings, or even drawing a snake on their own bodies).
"But it's still green, so you must be celebrating Saint Patrick's day!" No, I chose the colors green and gold/orange for a couple of reasons. One; the Irish flag happens to be just that. Two; Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle. The red hair represents the typical Irish hair color which is stereotypically red or orange.
In conclusion, if you do not know what you are actually celebrating, do some research. Most holidays are not truly what they appear to be, and some of the things you learn may change your mind about how you live.
As for me? I will never be celebrating Saint Patrick's day as such again. Instead, I will proudly stand as a snake.
