Happy St. Patrick's Day: A Brief History of This Festive Holiday
Crack your beer bottle open, put on your green clothes and join the parade because St. Patrick’s Day is here! This festive holiday is celebrated across the nation as a time for feasts and drinking. Though today the holiday is more secular, it has deeply religious beginnings. The holiday generally takes place on March 17th, the death day of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick.
St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain. He was a captured slave when he was taken to Ireland for the first time. After 6 years of captivity St. Patrick had a dream in which God showed him that a ship was waiting for him at the shore to take him back home. St. Patrick did eventually escape but later chose to return to Ireland. It is said that he had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling to him. Asking for his assistance. When he returned, St. Patrick converted many of the irish people to christianity. He ended up establishing many churches and monasteries in Ireland. There are also many stories that say he saved Ireland from snakes or those who worship serpent gods.
The Irish brought their joyful holiday with them to the United States. Many Irish immigrants came to the United States during the 19th century to escape the potato famine in Ireland. Irish immigrants continued to make up a good percentage of American immigrants well up until the 1930s. Because the holiday allows Christians to set aside their food and alcohol limitations for the day. This is why alcohol is associated with the holiday, celebrators can freely drink without religious restrictions. The feast part of the holiday came from Ireland, but the tradition of having St. Patrick’s Day parades started in America. Today, many cities vibrantly celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Chicago specifically is known for its parade and its tradition of turning the Chicago River green for the holiday.
Other traditions include the famous shamrock. The shamrock became a symbol of the holiday because it is believed that St. Patrick taught the Holy Trinity (the unity of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) by using the three leaves on the sprig. Celebrators commemorated this event by wearing shamrocks on their clothing. As time went on, this led to celebrators wearing green clothing in general to celebrate the holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day is an incredible, cheerful, holiday that is always changing and obtaining new traditions. It is a wonderful holiday that celebrates not only St. Patrick but the history and heritage of the Irish.