By Staff
St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland, to celebrate the patron saint of the Irish people, St. Patrick. St. Patrick was kidnapped from Roman Britain in the late 4th century and taken to Ireland to be a slave. He eventually escaped but later returned to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. When he died on March 17th, St. Patricks day was created to celebrate him. Although the event takes place during the Catholic “lent”, the prohibition against eating meat was set aside for the day to celebrate. People danced, drank, and ate a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
Every year, on March 17th, Americans flood the streets, dawning green attire and colorful face paint. When Irish people began emigrating to the United States in the late 19th century, they brought over the rich tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s day. The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration that took place outside of Ireland is thought to have happened in 1601, in a Spanish colony of what is now St. Augustine, Florida.
When Irish immigrants first came to the United States, they were hated and discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. Although not widely recognized, St. Patricks Day was a symbol of strength for early Irish immigrants in the United States. After a long night of St. Patrick’s Day celebration, newspapers used it to characterize Irish immigrants as drunken, violent individuals. Although it was a disheartening reality for many immigrants, they soon found power in numbers. Irish immigrants came together to create a powerful political group that was an essential swing vote for many political candidates. Soon, their St. Patrick’s Day parades became a must-attend event for political candidates looking to win over their vote.
Although the holiday’s history is not well known, many people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by eating corned beef and cabbage.
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