Photo Credits: ABC 7 News
Every year, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the anniversary of his death. The holiday became a popular celebration over 1,000 years ago when Christians in Ireland began observing a feast day in honor of their patron saint during the ninth and tenth centuries. The holiday falls during the season of Lent, but restrictions against eating meat were waived. Irish families went to church in the morning and spent the evening dancing, drinking, and feasting on Irish bacon and cabbage. Later, American settlers established new traditions for the holiday, including parades and corned beef with cabbage. Today, people around the world continue to celebrate Irish culture with parades, feasts, and the tradition of wearing green.
St. Patrick is widely believed to have been a man named Maewyn Succat, born in Roman Britain. He was captured by Irish raiders when he was 16 and spent around six years in slavery, where he became deeply religious. He escaped and returned to Britain, where he began studying for priesthood. Upon becoming a priest, he took the name Patricius/Patrick. In 433 AD, he felt called to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary. He died on March 17, 461, and the legends surrounding his role in Irish culture grew in the decades following. One of his most famous legends claims he explained the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—using a three leafed Irish clover, or shamrock. Another well-known legend claims he stood on a hill and drove all the snakes from Ireland into the sea with a staff. Many people believe this story symbolizes converting pagans.
While people in Ireland have observed the day with a celebratory feast for centuries, the first parade took place in St. Augustine, Florida—then a Spanish colony—and was led by Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. Around a century later, in 1762, homesick Irishmen serving in the British army marched in New York City. Enthusiasm for the holiday’s parades soon spread to other cities such as Boston and Chicago. Today, New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is the world’s largest civilian parade, with over 150,000 participants and nearly three million viewers.
During the Irish Potato Famine, nearly one million Irish Catholics immigrated to the United States. They were despised by the majority of Americans for their beliefs and accents. When they celebrated their heritage on March 17th, newspapers portrayed them in offensive cartoons as drunk and violent apes or monkeys. However, Irish immigrants soon realized that their growing numbers gave them untapped political influence. They began to organize and became known as the “green machine”, which became an important swing vote for political candidates. Annual parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, and a critical event for politicians. In 1948, President Harry Truman attended the New York City parade, a monumental moment for Irish Americans who had spent decades fighting stereotypes and prejudice.
While North America is home to the world’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and the tradition of wearing green, the holiday is celebrated all across the world. Even places far from Ireland, such as Japan and Singapore, hold their own celebrations. In Ireland, the holiday is a traditional and spiritual occasion. Until 1970, pubs in Ireland were required by law to be closed on March 17. However, in 1995, the government began a national campaign to use the holiday to drive tourism and showcase the country’s culture.
From its origins are religious feast to modern celebrations around the globe, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture and heritage. Through parades, feasts, and celebratory gatherings, millions of people each year celebrate the lasting legacy of Ireland’s patron saint.
