Saint Patrick’s Day

By: Medha Annam

Green usually isn’t my color, 

but every March 17th it is.

If you want to avoid a pinch to the arm, I’d suggest you do the same, for March 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day! While it may not be a federal holiday in the U.S., people here find the pinching tradition quite entertaining. 

The holiday is however a public holiday in Ireland, and many businesses and schools are closed on this day. There was a law until 1960, that required pubs to be closed on this day. However in 1995, the Irish government used St. Patrick’s day to encourage tourism and teach people about Irish culture. 

The holiday honors St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle while he was alive in the fifth century. Originating from Roman Britain, St. Patrick was kidnapped and served as a slave in Ireland when he was 16 years old. He was able to escape, however returned to Ireland, where he would spread Christianity. One legend says how he explained the Holy Trinity of Christianity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of the shamrock. (Photo Credits: St. Patrick, stained-glass window in the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California).

From the 9th or tenth century, the Irish observed a Roman Catholic feast in St. Patrick’s honor. However, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in fact not in Ireland, but in North America on March 17th in 1601, in the then-Spanish Colony, St. Augustine, Florida. It had been set up by the colony’s Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur. 

The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in America was in 1762, when homesick Irish soldiers serving for the British military marched in New York City. From there, more and more big cities became excited to celebrate the day. As Irish patriotism grew, Irish aid societies developed, like the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Hibernian Society.  The societies held yearly parades that would have bagpipes, drums, and so on. In 1851, several of these societies combined their parades to create one official New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This parade is today one of the oldest civilian parades in the entire world, and  the biggest in the U.S., with more than 150,000 participants and almost 3 million audience members. (Photo Credits: Kate Lord/New York University).

So how did St. Patrick’s Day grow in the U.S.?

Well in 1845, Ireland was struck with what is known as the Great Potato Famine, that resulted in about 1 million poor and uneducated Irish Catholics coming to the States. However, the immigrants were alienated from society because of their beliefs, and finding jobs was difficult for them. When Irish Americans celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in public, newspapers depicted them as drunk, violent monkeys. 

However, Irish Americans flooded politics due to their large immigration numbers. St. Patrick’s Day parades then became a symbol of strength for Irish Americans, and events that politicians would attend. In fact, in 1948, President Harry S. Truman attended NYC’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, showcasing the acceptance of Irish Americans after years of prejudice.

As we know, St. Patrick’s day has many traditions across the States. For example, Chicago partakes in a tradition where they dye the Chicago River green in honor of the day. Originating in 1962, the dyes used to be used to trace illegal sewage discharges. However, they soon discovered that the dye would be a fun way to honor St. Patrick’s Day. People also celebrate with food, such as Irish soda bread, corned beef, cabbage, and colcannon (mashed potatoes with green onions, butter, and milk).  (Photo Credits: Peter O'Toole/Shutterstock).

Now, I'm sure you guys are curious about the oh-so popular leprechauns, and why you haven’t found that pot of gold yet. Well the Irish name for leprachauns is luchorpán, which translates to “small-bodied fellow,” and they stem from Celtic beliefs in fairies. They were known to be cranky figures that would mend the shoes of fairies. They also were infamous for their trickery, that they would use to protect their treasure. So…looks like that treasure will be hard to find. 

All-in-all, whether you celebrate or not, make sure you wear green…and that you don’t irritate any leprechauns. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate!