It is that time of year again for festive shamrocks and pots of gold. If you forget to wear green, you just might get pinched, because St. Patrick’s Day is here! Most people associate St. Patrick’s Day with beers and parades, without understanding the history behind the holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated annually on March 17, originated hundreds of years ago, much different from the celebrations of today. In the fifth century, a patron saint known as Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain, but was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave at 16 years old. Eventually, he escaped and went back to Ireland to spread the word about Christianity. Saint Patrick and his religious preaching were not appreciated, however, so he lived on a small island off the coast of Ireland. He gradually gained followers and moved back to Ireland, where he helped create over 300 Christian churches and baptized thousands of people.
It is believed that Saint Patrick died on March 17 in the year 461 AD, according to History.com. For centuries succeeding his death, legends about the patron saint became an integral part of Irish culture; the most notable legend being that St. Patrick used a three-leaved clover to illustrate the Christian Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
St. Patrick’s Day was a Roman Catholic feast day held in his honor. The people of Ireland would go to church in the morning and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the afternoon. Since the holiday was observed during the Christian season of Lent, the celebration was a reprieve from the rules forbidding the consumption of meat and alcohol. Families would partake in a feast of Irish bacon and cabbage, then drink and dance in celebration.
Fast forward to the early 18th century, when the Irish migrated to the United States, they brought along their “Feast Day” tradition. Saint Patrick became synonymous with Irish heritage and culture, despite the fact that he was not actually of Irish descent. More and more Irish arrived in the States, which increased the popularity of Feast Day. The color green became associated with St. Patrick’s Day at this time, since the shamrock was declared a national symbol. Due to the widespread appreciation of shamrocks and the green landscape of Ireland, green was a symbol of the holiday. The tradition of wearing green comes from the mythical belief that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns, who have the tendency to pinch people. Others believe that the color green brings good luck or celebrates Irish heritage.
It is currently a holiday celebrating Irish culture with parades, traditional foods, music, dancing, drinking and, of course, wearing green.
Article by Zoe Bell of Quince Orchard High School
Graphic by Nicole Fang of Richard Montgomery High School