During the month of Saint Patrick’s Day, many have prepared for the raucous celebrations, or even just setting out green clothing. However, very few truly understand the history of the holiday, or the significance it holds for those of Irish descent.
How did St. Patrick’s Day begin?
According to History, “St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.” St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, has been credited with bringing the first iteration of Christianity to the island. Prior to St. Patrick, Ireland had several sects of pagan religious groups that intersected, inspiring Celtic holidays like Samhuinn, also known as All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween, and more. St. Patrick managed to unite the Ireland’s varying beliefs, which lasted until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. After his death, believed to be on March 17th, 461 A.D., many myths arose about him, such as the tale of him removing all the snakes from the Emerald Isle. The Irish have held the annual feast of St. Patrick since the 9th century. More nations celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than any other national festival.
What makes St. Patrick’s Day so popular in America?
The first St. Patrick’s day celebration, held in St. Augustine, Florida, by the Irish vicar Ricardo Artur, spawned the original St. Patrick’s Day parade, and the appeal only grew from there. Irish soldiers held a St. Patrick’s Day march in 1772 in New York City, and that became a tradition as more and more Irish transplants arrived in America. After that, Irish Americans in Boston and Chicago began to follow suit, which launched three of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in those cities. Nowadays, Irish descendants make up a significant group, with one million arriving just in 1845, making America a great place for a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Drinking green beer and dyeing rivers green have never been true Irish traditions, though.
How do the Irish celebrate the day?
St. Patrick’s Day has always been a major religious and nationalistic day in Ireland. Until 1995, bars and pubs in Ireland closed for the day, and families came together to celebrate in their own homes. Irish people do not have to wear green on the 17th; indeed, that tradition stems from the stylized American version of the holiday. Ireland observes Irish Language Week the first of March through the 17th, in order to bring awareness to their heritage. The Catholic season of Lent, observed stridently in Ireland, becomes suspended for the day in order for people to dance, drink, and feast. Cabbage, a main staple of Irish eating, corned beef, and bacon take center stage on dinner tables, along with copious amounts of liquor. Irish folk will normally attend church in the morning before celebrating in the evening hours. All in all, their traditional holiday happens to be nominally less party-centric than the average American’s St. Patrick’s Day.
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