March 17th is fast approaching- a day when a sea of green can be found in many pubs around the world, when Guinness and Irish Cream are the drinks of choice, and thousands of people line the streets to watch a parade and celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland. In order to properly celebrate the Saint and his achievements in Ireland, one must first know a little bit of history about Saint Patrick and how Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated around the world.

Saint Patrick's real name was not Patrick and he was not from Ireland. Maewyn Succate, as his real name is believed to be, was actually born in a village called Bannavem Taberniae that is believed to have been on the south-western shore of Great Britain. As a teenager he was captured and forced into slavery, but eventually escaped. He became a Bishop in 432. St. Patrick succeeded in converting Ireland from Paganism to Christianity by speaking Irish Gaelic, understanding Pagan rituals and relating them to Christian beliefs. Two of the greatest myths about him are that he used the pagan symbol of the Shamrock to explain the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity, and that he drove all the snakes from Ireland. There is no evidence in his writings to support the shamrock story and scientists are sure that there never were any snakes in Ireland. The snake myth was likely due to symbolism, as serpents were associated with the Pagans.

Saint Patrick died March 17th, 461 at the age of 76. Before his death, he asked that his body be put on a cart drawn by two oxen and wherever they stopped was where he should be buried. His wishes were followed and his remains were buried where the oxen stopped, on Cathedral Hill in Downpatrick County Down, North Ireland.

The day of his death, March 17, became the day to celebrate the Saint in Ireland and across the globe. As people emigrated from Ireland, they took the celebration with them. Over 70 million people worldwide claim some Irish ancestry. A large group of these people live in Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Whether claiming to have Irish ancestry, or just wanting to take part in the festivities, here are a few things to do this March 17th to be Authentically Irish.