Why Celebrate St. Patrick? Come St. Patrick’s Day everybody seems to have a little bit of Irish in them, even if they don’t really come from Irish ancestry. But, that’s ok! For many, St. Patrick’s Day is simply a fun day to celebrate Irish culture and history. Shamrocks, leprechauns, and the color green are some of the day’s most recognized symbols. But behind all of the festivities and folk legends, St. Patrick’s Day stems from rather serious Irish history. St. Patrick’s Day marks the Roman Catholic feast day in honor of Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. It is believed that March 17 (in the year 461 A.D.) is the day St. Patrick died. What’s especially interesting, and I don’t think many people know this, is that St. Patrick was actually born in Britain, not Ireland. As the story goes, at the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish brigands and brought to Ireland, where he was sold as a slave and served for six years until he escaped to present-day France. After 14 years of studying Christianity, Patrick returned to Ireland where he spent the next 30 years spreading the Christian faith throughout the country. A popular myth about Patrick is that he drove all of the snakes from Ireland to the Irish Sea, where they drowned. However, snakes have never been native to Ireland, so the “banishing of the snakes” was most likely a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology and the triumph of Christianity. Within 200 years of Patrick’s arrival, Ireland was almost completely Christianized. Here are some more interesting facts about St. Patrick’s Day and all things Irish: • The color traditionally associated with St. Patrick was actually blue. It wasn’t until the 19th century that green became closely linked with St. Patrick’s Day. • According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34.5 million Americans claim Irish ancestry—that’s seven times the entire population of Ireland, which has 4.68 million people. • New York City holds the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the U.S. This year more than 1 million spectators are expected to watch the parade and approximately 200,000 participants plan to march in it. • Chicago is famous for dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day. In 1962 the tradition began when the pipe fitters union (with the mayor’s permission), poured 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river. Today only 40 pounds of dye is used. • The shamrock, also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 56. • On St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, people wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Also children wear orange, white, and green badges to represent their country’s flag. • Ireland, also known as the “Emerald Isle,” is an island about 300 miles long and 200 miles wide. • The original Irish name for leprechaun is “lobaircin,” which means “small-bodied fellow.” • Music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Irish turned to music, particularly during tough times, to help them remember their heritage and history. Whether your plans involve listening to some Irish music, eating corned beef and cabbage, or heading to a pub for drinks, I hope you have a happy (and lucky!) St. Patrick’s Day. Erin go Bragh (Ireland forever)! (This St. Patrick’s Day blog post is brought to you by Lucy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies! drlucys/cookies)
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 19:41:20 +0000
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