St Patrick's Day is a worldwide celebration of the color green, the drink Guinness, parades, and the symbol of the Shamrock. It is easy to get caught up in the festivities, but why is it celebrated all around the world?
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated annually on March 17th in honor of the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland, Saint Patrick. His father was kidnapped by Irish marauders and sold as a slave to care for sheep when he was a small boy in the 5th century in the British Isles. He was able to return to England, where he was given a vision from God, instructing him to return to Ireland and assist the people of the island nation.
In 432 AD, he returned to Ireland, where he took vows as a priest and changed his name to Patrick in order to aid in the spread of Christianity among the Irish. The Shamrock was used by him to explain the Holy Trinity to his disciples as he went about spreading Christian beliefs to the populace.
Saint Patrick died on the 17th of March in the year 461 AD, and his death is still commemorated to this day to memorialize him.
Here, we look at some fun ways to celebrate this Irish tradition.
Wear a green outfit with a shamrock
In recognition of the Shamrock's close association with Saint Patrick and his teachings, it is now frequently used to symbolize Ireland. Wearing Shamrocks used to be a symbol of Irish Christian pride, but over time it evolved into wearing green to commemorate the holiday.
Despite the fact that shamrocks do not exist, they are closely associated with clovers because of their resemblance to the leaves; as a result, many people use clovers in decorations and face paint on St. Patrick's Day. You could also find a cute womens st patricks day shirt to wear.
Cook and eat a traditional Irish meal
Traditionally, the traditional Irish supper on St Patrick's Day consisted of boiled bacon, potatoes, and soda bread, but nowadays there are many different foods that are consumed to commemorate the day! Because beef was far less expensive than bacon, Irish ex-pats in America noticed that beef was being substituted for bacon. They would marinate it with brine (corned beef) and slow boil it with cabbage for a couple of hours before serving. Remember a pint or two of Guinness to wash it all down. This Irish dry stout is brewed in Dublin and is often regarded as the national alcoholic beverage of the country.
Go to a St Patrick's Day parade
The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in colonial America took place in Boston in 1737, according to historical records. Now, it is celebrated throughout the United States, with the 5th Avenue parade in New York City being the largest and most rowdy of them all! It has been going on for more than 250 years and is extremely popular, with between 150,000 and 250,000 marchers taking part!
