Is St. Patrick's Day a Holiday Celebrating Religious Colonialism?

[ChadCoxRox]

The green three-leaved shamrock has historically served as a symbol for the Holy Trinity in Christianity. I celebrate the idea that St. Patrick survived enslavement related trauma and yet returned to Ireland with intent to share his belief and Christianity with the people and land where he'd been a victim, became a survivor and then a thriver. Of course it gets far deeper and complex the more you dip into the religion of it all, but for my own recovery I keep it simple and enjoy this concept. 'Tis a far cry from the early days of wearing green to avoid pinches at school.