Why are we celebrating Irish culture on St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday?
Many people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which falls on Tuesday, March 17, by attending parades and indulging in Irish-themed food and drink.
Centuries ago, some Irish feasted and drank as well, but for religious reasons. According to History.com, Christians in Ireland began celebrating St. Patrick’s Day during Lent between the ninth and tenth centuries. People may drink and dance on the holiday, ignoring Lenten restrictions on meat consumption and dining on Irish bacon and cabbage.
According to the Ireland.com website, which is maintained by Tourism Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day parades were supposed to have begun in the United States by Irish emigrants, with the first procession taking place in Boston in 1737. However, History.com reports that a St. Patrick’s Day procession was held as early as 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida.
Explore the top beer gardens, festivals, and taverns in the United States. Cities around the United States have St. Patrick’s Day parades, while multiday festivals, including parades, take place throughout Ireland.
Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland since he is credited with introducing Christianity to the country. (According to History.com, despite being known as Saint Patrick, he was never canonized and received the honorific through grassroots public support.)
Patrick was born in late fourth-century A.D. Great Britain, but as a teenager, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and held captive for around six years. During his incarceration, he became a devoted Christian. He escaped and came to Great Britain, where an angel told him in a dream that he should return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick then began religious training, which lasted almost 15 years.
According to the Saint Patrick Centre at Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland, Patrick began his mission to spread Christianity on the island of Ireland in 432 AD. The Centre is located near Down Cathedral, the famed saint’s final burial place. According to History.com, when he died in 461, the island was almost totally Christian.
Why do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17?
History.com reports that St. Patrick died on March 17, circa A.D. 460. According to the National Catholic Reporter, St. Patrick’s Day was introduced to Rome’s liturgical calendar in the mid-17th century by Luke Wadding, a Franciscan friar from Waterford residing in Rome.
While people in Ireland have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for over 1,000 years, parades began even before the country gained independence from Great Britain. While Boston may have had the first parade, the official New York City parade dates from March 17, 1766, according to the Library of Congress, albeit an unofficial march took place in 1762.
According to the library, the Savannah, Georgia, parade dates back to March 17, 1824, while Boston’s first formal parade took place in March 1776.
In addition to parades, many St. Patrick’s Day events involve pub crawls (complete with green beer) and music festivals. Chicago colors the Chicago River green as part of the celebration.
Why is the shamrock associated with Saint Patrick’s Day?
According to Ireland.com, St. Patrick is said to have taught the Irish about the Holy Trinity using the three-leafed shamrock.
The Number of Irish People in America
According to the US Census Bureau, many Americans have something to celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day.
- According to the US Census, more than 32 million people in the United States claim Irish ancestry.
- Approximately 117,000 Americans were born in Ireland.
- The states having the largest percentage of residents with Irish ancestry are New Hampshire (21.3%) and Massachusetts (18.9%).
- Cook County, Illinois, which encompasses Chicago, has approximately 434,000 Irish-Americans, making it the most populous county in the United States, according to 2023 projections.