Top o’ the morning to you, lads and lasses!
I cannot believe it’s already March! This year has flown by so far. As you surely know, March brings a very special holiday for many, whether they be Irish or just fans of festivities.
This year, Provident would like to help get our customers in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day by sharing a little history of the holiday and…dun dun dun…giving away some gold!
Patrick (no known last name has been recorded) was born to a British family, rich in theology. At age 16, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to work in Northern Ireland for six years as a shepherd. During his enslavement, he developed his spiritual life and converted to Christianity. After six years of arduous labor, Patrick heard a voice telling him he was to be delivered from captivity by a ship.
Patrick fled from his captors to find the ship, and he was indeed rescued and returned home. Not long after he returned home, Patrick had a vision in which he believed God told him he needed to return to the land of his captors and share the gospel with those he should abhor.
Obediently, Patrick did return to Northern Ireland and led thousands to Christ. According to historical documents, Patrick used a shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish people.
Surprisingly, Patrick was never formally canonized by the Catholic church, though, he has been widely regarded as a saint since his death on March 17, 460.
In the late 9th century, St. Patrick’s Day was developed as a way to pay homage to the man who conquered bitterness to spread the gospel. While traditions vary from country to country, St. Patrick’s Day is a well-loved holiday, universally.
In the United States, we employ many cultural stereotypes on St. Patrick’s Day; we use copious amounts of green decorations, shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots o’ gold to show off Irish pride.
While there might not be a connection between St. Patrick and leprechauns and pots of gold, learning their Irish history is interesting. According to Irish lore, the leprechauns found gold left by Viking plunderers when the (to them) giants abandoned their land. To protect their treasure, they would bury their pots of gold. If you could find the end of a rainbow, you would stumble upon the gold. While this is a fun story, science tells us rainbows are actually circles, so good luck searching!
You might not find a pot of gold, but Provident would like to give you the chance to win a gold bar! Simply comment below, and let me know 
Happy Stacking!
-J
