The History of Saint Patrick’s Day
By Keira Moore
Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and the stores have already stocked up on anything and everything green and ‘lucky.’ This brings the question, why do they do that? What is the point of St. Patrick’s Day and why do we celebrate this Irish holiday?
The History
The holiday is named after a man called Saint Patrick who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. The holiday really celebrates the arrival of the religion. Although Saint Patrick was not Irish, he was born in British Rome, then enslaved and brought to Ireland later in his life.
Saint Patrick is viewed as an important religious figure. The holiday is on March 17th, the day of his death.
Around the world, the holiday is celebrated by feasting and drinking. Despite the holiday originating in Ireland, the U.S. hosts larger St. Patrick’s Day celebrations than any other country. On the holiday, people are encouraged to wear green, or they might get pinched!
With some history and traditions explained, that leaves one question. Where do the clovers and leprechauns come from? Well, legend says that when Saint Patrick was teaching about Christianity through Ireland, he used a three-leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity.
Leprechauns are fairy tale creatures found in Celtic folktales and were just related at some point in history to the holiday, rumored to pinch anyone who doesn’t wear green on the day. The clover and leprechaun have evolved over the years to become symbols not just for St. Patrick’s Day, but for Ireland itself.
What Does Howard Think?
After interviewing 20 randomly selected students at Howard High School (HHS) 75% of students do not do anything on the holiday. Very few said they wear green, and even less say they go to parades. St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the most popular of holidays in the U.S. apparently.
More Fun Facts
- According to folklore, wearing green makes you invisible to the leprechauns out to pinch you. Anyone that doesn’t wear green gets pinched!
- Legend has it that Saint Patrick also got rid of all the snakes in Ireland. This is only a legend, but there truly aren’t any snakes in Ireland due to the temperatures there that just can’t support them.
- Cities throughout the U.S. celebrate with huge parades, the biggest one being hosted in New York City. A lesser-known tradition is the Chicago River being dyed green.
