Let's Chat About...St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th each year in memory of the death date of St. Patrick. This celebration was first established in 1631 as a religious holiday honoring Ireland's Patron Saint. Because it fell right in the middle of lent, many people used it as an excuse to take a break from their Lenten restraints and abstinence. It became an Irish Public Holiday in 1904.
St. Patrick was known for bringing Christianity to Ireland. When he was 16 years old, he was captured by Irish Raiders and was sent to be a slave in Northern Ireland. There he worked as a Shepard for 6 difficult years. During this time his faith became stronger and later in his life he became a Catholic Bishop. St. Patrick continued to spread Christianity in Ireland through Baptism and Confirmation.
The symbol of Green first came from the color of the flag flown during the Great Irish Rebellion of 1641 when the Irish fought the English. It also represents the lush green hills of Emerald Isle.
St. Patrick's Day parades became popular in the United States during the 1700's. This was a way for the Irish immigrants to show their pride. Today, the parade in New York is the world's oldest and largest St. Patick's Day parade, which travels 1.5 miles up Fifth Ave. in Manhattan.
Some popular St. Patrick's Day traditions include:
Shamrocks
Leprechauns
Wearing Green
Irish Food & Green Beer
Although the Shamrock is Ireland's National Flower, it has much more meaning around the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. As a Bishop of Ireland, St. Patrick used the Shamrock to symbolize the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit represented in the three leaves of a Shamrock. Another belief is that the 4-leaf clover is a sign of good luck. With the four leaves representing faith, hope, love and luck.
The Leprechaun is an Irish figure from folklore legend. He is characterized as a short, bearded fellow that where's a top hat and has gold buckles on his shoes. They are known to be excellent shoemakers and they hide their coins in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It is also said that if you catch a Leprechaun, he will grant you 3 wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Wearing green became popular in the United States during the St. Patrick's Day Parades. Legend has it that if you wear green on St. Patrick's Day you are invisible to the Leprechauns. If a Leprechaun catches you and you aren't wearing green, he will pinch you.
Another common St. Patrick's Day tradition is eating Corned Beef and Cabbage. This is a popular Irish meal that many Americans have adopted it as part of their celebration. When the Irish Immigrants came to the United States, beef was the most widely available protein. In order to preserve it, they created corned beef. This process involves taking a cut of beef (usually brisket) and curing it in a brine solution. Then it is simmered with seasonings until the meat is tender and flavorful. The entire process may take several days.
The Irish are well known for their pubs and how they enjoy drinking beer. Ireland has had a vast reputation for beer production and consumption for thousands of years. This has spread all over the world through the popularity of Irish Pubs. On St. Patrick's Day, many of these pubs and other establishments color their beer green to celebrate the occasion. Guinness is the most familiar brand of beer associated with Ireland.
Last year on St. Patrick's Day, my family and I were at the Riverwalk in San Antonio Texas! Our oldest son leaves near Austin and it's only about an hour and a half drive away. Every time we go down there to see him and his family, we try and take in the Riverwalk. It is pretty cool how on St. Patrick's Day they color the water green! We all had a great time!!
How do you enjoy your St. Patrick's Day? Do you have any special traditions or celebrations? If so, please share in the comments below!
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