4 Things You Should Know About Saint Patrick’s Day

By Clinton Courier | November 4, 2021 |

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th, honoring Saint Patrick who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. The holiday has evolved into one that celebrates Irish culture and traditions with parades and festive parties all over the world. While many people enjoy celebrating this day by wearing green and eating festive foods, such as corned beef and cabbage, and drinking Irish beer and whisky, there is a lot more to the holiday than that. Therefore here are a few things about Saint Patrick’s Day that everyone should know.

How Did Saint Patrick’s Day Come To America?

March 17th was recognized as St. Patrick’s day beginning in the early 1700s when Irish immigrants began to arrive in America bringing their customs with them. However, it did not become a yearly celebration until the 1800s when Irishmen living in New York held the first official parade on March 17th, 1848. They wanted to commemorate all of those who died for Ireland back home while demonstrating their pride in being American citizens now living here in peace among different cultures and creeds. Today, a huge number of Irish Americans still celebrate this Irish holiday by attending the local parade in their Irish community. Besides the parades, many pubs hold special events where Irish music is enjoyed by everyone while drinks and food are served all day long.

Why Do People Wear Green On Saint Patrick’s Day?

The color green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day since it was used by Irish Catholics some years ago in an attempt to distinguish themselves from Protestants who wore blue and orange clothing while attending Mass. The tradition of wearing green when celebrating this holiday also stems from the fact that it was St. Patrick’s signature color as well as all of his religious followers during the Dark Ages wore green to symbolize their strong faith in Christianity and the Holy Trinity. It is said that wearing green on March 17th will bring good luck and fortune while, if a woman dreams of wearing green on this day, it means that she will marry before the end of the year. The shamrock, which is a popular emblem of this holiday, represents the Holy Trinity. It is said that Saint Patrick used the three-leafed plant as a simple lesson to help explain Christianity’s most basic beliefs to his Irish converts.

Irish Foods And Drinks to Enjoy On Saint Patrick’s Day

Many pubs, hotels, and restaurants serve Irish food including corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes along with many other traditional dishes on Saint Patrick’s Day. Corned beef and cabbage are popular Irish food and drinks to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, especially in America. It is said that Saint Patrick used corned beef to feed the snakes he had driven out of Ireland when they began returning to the island in swarms.

Also, at least one or two bars in every town will be serving up green beer which is not authentic but this beverage has become very popular over the years since it was introduced in America during the 1970s. The original green beer contains about 5% alcohol and is most often made with draft beer that has a shot of green food coloring added to it or else sometimes it is mixed with lime sherbet. However, this beverage does taste good to many people even if they are aware that there are no real health benefits associated with consuming green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Legends Associated With Saint Patrick’s Day

There are several different versions of the legend surrounding St. Patrick, but according to tradition, he was born in Wales and captured by Irish raiders when he was a teenager before being enslaved for six years in Ireland where he learned about Christianity. After escaping captivity, he returned home to Britain where he became an ordained minister. Eventually, he returned to Ireland as a missionary where he provided religious instruction to converted Christians and continued preaching for thirty years until his death on March 17th in 461 AD. Other legends claim that there were pagan Druids who followed the bad example of their leader who had been bewitched by Saint Patrick’s evil spells causing him to renounce all the sacrifices which he had offered to his Pagan gods.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a special day to celebrate all things Irish not only in Ireland but also in America and elsewhere around the world. It is a fun holiday that brings people together from all walks of life regardless of their cultural background or creed. For this one day, we are celebrating our Irish heritage by wearing green, drinking green beer, and eating traditional Irish foods. So next March 17th make sure you wear your green and enjoy being Irish for a day.

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