Every year on Mar. 17, celebrations break out across the country, with the biggest ones taking place in Boston, New York and Chicago. People eat certain– often green– foods and dress up in green clothes adorned with shamrocks. This is the common tradition of St. Patrick’s Day, an age-old holiday; however, where did these traditions originate, and how did they come to the United States and become such a large part of American culture?
St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. He was born in Roman Britain, but at 16 years old, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. Saint Patrick later escaped slavery and eventually returned to Ireland in 432 CE to convert the Irish to Christianity. Before his death on Mar. 17, 461 CE, he established monasteries, churches and schools across Ireland.
Many legends circled St. Patrick, including one saying he drove the snakes out of Ireland. However, this common story is actually false, as there are no snakes in Ireland and there have not been any present since the Ice Age when the island was separated from the mainland. The story may have instead been symbolic for St. Patrick ending Pagan practices, which often worshipped serpent symbols. Through the retelling of this story, the meanings were most likely accidentally changed and was taken to mean that St. Patrick literally drove snakes out of Ireland.
While some of the common stories surrounding St. Patrick may be false, he still had a revolutionary impact on Ireland. The day of his death (Mar. 17) was originally commemorated with feasts and religious services, and as Irish immigrants moved to the United States, they brought this tradition with them, changing St. Patrick’s Day to a mostly secular observation.
Cities that contained large Irish immigrant populations held celebrations and parades. Boston held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1737, followed relatively quickly by New York City in 1762. Chicago is also very invested in this holiday, going so far as to dye the Chicago River completely green every year. Surprisingly, green was not the color originally associated with St. Patrick, and the color was instead originally blue. However, the symbolic color was changed to green by Irish nationalists who were fighting against British imperialism to represent nationalism and connection between the Irish.
In modern times, anyone can celebrate this holiday, not just Irish people. It has become tradition for everyone to wear green or shamrock-adorned clothing, which is the Irish national plant. If someone does not wear one of these things, others who are wearing them may pinch the offender. During celebrations, people eat corned beef and cabbage or drink beverages that have been dyed green.
While St. Patrick’s Day started as a small religious holiday in Ireland, it has since spread across the United States and has become secular, becoming a tradition for everyone to enjoy.
