It’s that time of year again, where the Irish, the shamrocks and the celebrations come out for St. Patrick’s Day. Did you know that St Patrick was actually from Wales? He served as a missionary in Ireland, but later fled back to England.
The shamrock symbol was a teaching tool. St Patrick used it to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
St. Patrick's Day, while originally a feast day for the patron saint who brought Christianity to Ireland, has evolved into a secular celebration of Irish heritage. As its reach has widened, many are familiar with the nickname "St. Paddy's Day," where "Paddy" is the shortened form of Patrick, which itself comes from Pádraig. While the holiday is sometimes spelled "St. Patty's Day," some find this to be offensive as "Patty" is a shortened form of the female name "Patricia."
The first parade was on March 17, 1762 and took place in New York City — fourteen years before the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. The first parade was comprised of a band of homesick, Irish ex-patriots and Irish military members serving with the British Army stationed in the colonies in New York. This was a time when the wearing of green was a sign of Irish pride but was banned in Ireland. In that 1762 parade, participants reveled in the freedom to speak Irish, wear green, sing Irish songs and play the pipes to Irish tunes that were meaningful to the Irish immigrants of that time.
Irish people take St. Patrick’s Day very seriously. It’s a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The green, the Guinness, and the parade all contribute to a great day! Did you know it used to be a dry holiday? Based on its religious associations, it was considered an alcohol-free holiday for most of the 20th century. In 1970, the drinking traditions started.
St. Patrick was originally associated with the color blue with Ireland being under British rule. Since the Irish rebellion in 1798, the tradition of green has stood for nationalism.
Irish-Americans come out to celebrate this time of year, with 12% of Americans claiming to have Irish heritage. Around 4.5 million Irish people emigrated to the United States between 1840-1930 during and just after the famine. Many people claim partial Irish identity through their ancestors!
In honor of their culture, the initial Irish immigrants in the United States splurged on flavorful corned beef, which was accompanied by potato and the cheapest vegetable, cabbage. It didn’t take long for corned beef and cabbage to become associated with St. Patrick’s Day.
I knew that my mom had Irish and English heritage and was proud of it! It wasn’t until shortly before she died, that she informed my siblings and I she was Scotch-Irish. Scotch-Irish (or Scots-Irish) Americans are American descendants of Ulster Protestants who emigrated from Ulster in Northern Ireland to America during the 18th and 19th centuries, whose ancestors had originally migrated to Ireland mainly from the Scottish Lowlands and Northern England in the 17th century. Her maternal grandparents came through Canada to the United States.
So, this St Patrick’s Day let’s enjoy corned beef and cabbage and maybe a little Guinness. Happy St Paddy’s Day!