Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the 17th of March each year, primarily in the United States, to honor Irish-Americans who make up much of the American population. Beyond the famous parades, wearing green and feasting on traditional Irish foods, lies a holiday rich with soul, history and spirit that dates back hundreds of years.
History
Saint Patrick’s Day first began as an official Christian feast day in 1631. The Catholic Church established this feast day to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, who died around the 5th century. Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, was born in Roman Britain andwas kidnapped at the young age of 16, brought to Ireland to become a slave. Not long after he escaped, he later returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people.
While initially it was a solemn holiday, the day evolved into a secular celebration of Irish heritage and tradition. The first recorded parade occurred in 1601 in the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, Florida, organized by Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. These early American celebrations often involved Irish soldiers in the British army or colonists honoring their heritage. More than a century later, homesick Irish natives of the British army marched in New York City on March 17, 1762, to honor the Irish patron saint. With the Irish natives making up a substantial portion of the American colonists, enthusiasm in New York, Chicago, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there.
Over the next few decades, Irish patriotism flourished as Irish immigrants arrived in mass numbers due to the potato famine. The Irish faced intense xenophobia, and to counter this, they continued to organize massive, disciplined parades to send a message about Irish culture.
Irish Green
Shockingly, Saint Patrick’s Day was historically associated with the color blue, specifically “Saint Patrick’s Blue” from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. St. Patrick was originally depicted in blue robes, and in 1783, King George III established the Order of St. Patrick, making sky-blue the official color. The popularized green color became associated with St. Patrick’s Day around the 1798 Irish Rebellion, when Irish soldiers wore green uniforms to signify Irish nationalism and to distinguish themselves from the British redcoats.
St. Patrick’s Today
Nowadays, Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States. People gather to focus on Irish culture with famous traditions such as wearing green to avoid being “pinched” and pinning on real or synthetic shamrocks. To this day, parades are still extremely popular, with the two largest being in New York City and Dublin. People also recognize the Irish culture through eating traditional Irish food of corned beef and cabbage while drinking Irish beer such as Guinness. Cultural celebrations include listening to traditional Irish music, Irish step dancing and spending time at local Irish pubs. Other unique customs in the United States include the annual tradition of Chicago dyeing its river green, which began back in 1962, and Leprechaun mischief, where children may set up traps for leprechauns, dating back to Irish folklore.
With Saint Patrick’s Day being right around the corner, falling on Tuesday, March 17, most parades and celebrations will take place on the prior weekend on the 14 and 15. Make sure to wear green and enjoy the classic, age-old Irish traditions of Saint Patrick’s Day.
