Happy St. Patrick’s Day – 2024

Top o’ the morning to ya! It’s St. Patrick’s Day. This is a day of celebration for anyone who is of Irish, or of Irish decent, or anyone who just wants to be part of the festivities, even if only for the day. Today, March 17th, is celebrated as the day of the Irish wherever there is a large Irish population, but here in the United States, it is a really big deal. Why do we celebrate it though?

Patrick was not actually Irish, according to experts. Born in the late fourth century, he was captured as an adolescent and ended up enslaved in Ireland. He escaped to another part of Europe where he was trained as a priest and returned to Ireland in the fifth century to promote the spread of Christianity. Several centuries later, he was made a saint by the Catholic Church and like other saints had a day dedicated to him, which was March 17th. He became Ireland’s patron saint, and even when religious strife broke out between Catholics and Protestants, was claimed by both, says Mike Cronin, historian and academic director of Boston College Dublin.

The Shamrock was used to explain the Holy Trinity to the people of Ireland, and thus became the Irish symbol for God, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The three leaves of a shamrock are also said to stand for faith, hope and love. A fourth leaf is where we get the luck from.

Irish people came to America and brought their culture with them. St. Patrick’s Day observances date back to before the founding of the U.S., in places like Boston and New York City. The first parade was held in Manhattan in 1762.

While the day was marked with more of a religious framing and solemnity in Ireland until well into the 20th century, in America it became the cultural and boisterous celebration it is today, marked by plenty of people without a trace of Irish heritage.

It was because people in Ireland started seeing how the day was marked in the U.S. that it became more of a festival in the country of its origin rather than strictly a religious observance, Cronin says, pointing to the parades, parties and other festivities that are held.

So whether you are Irish or not, celebrate the day, and make the most of all the fun. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, DON’T drink too much green beer and stay well. ‘Til next time.