St. Patrick´s Day

St. Patrick´s Day

History

St. Patrick’s Day occurs in observance of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It evolves a variety of festivals celebrating Irish culture.

Saint Patrick

St. Patrick´s Day Traditions

On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.

Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

Traditions

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish. From leprechauns to the color green

Chicago river

The color traditionally associated with St. Patrick was blue, not green.

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.

Shamrock

The Snake

It has long been recounted that, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland.

The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil.

Green was not the first color associated with St. Patrick, so just how did green come to represent the holiday?

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The new wave of immigrants brought their own food traditions, including soda bread and Irish stew. Pork was the preferred meat, since it was cheap in Ireland and ubiquitous on the dinner table.

Irish bacon and cabbage

The favored cut was Irish bacon, a lean, smoked pork loin similar to Canadian bacon. But in the United States, pork was prohibitively expensive for most newly arrived Irish families, so they began cooking beef.

Facts

• The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762.
• More than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.
• There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. This number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.