The Luck of the Irish: St. Patrick’s Day

Mostly known as a spirited holiday for mischievous pinching and downing pints of green-tinted beer, St. Patrick’s Day has a rich cultural history as its foundation.

Also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, it is a cultural and religious holiday that originated in Ireland and commemorates the death of Saint Patrick on March 17th of each year. While the celebration of this feast day has spread far and wide, it remains a beloved public holiday in Ireland.

So what did Saint Patrick do to earn this place of honor?

First, what you need to know about him is that he was born in the 5th century, most likely to a family of Romans living in Britain. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by Irish pirates and taken as a slave for six years. During this time he converted to Christianity and received a vision from God on how to escape from slavery.

Upon his return to England, he became a priest and eventually returned to Ireland with the mission to convert the pagans to Christianity. After many years of traveling the countryside, spreading Christianity, Saint Patrick died on March 17th. Since that earliest history, countless legends and myths have multiplied about his life and his works.

Why are shamrocks everywhere?

One of the many legends associated with Saint Patrick is that he used a shamrock to teach the Irish pagans about the Christian Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. In reality, a shamrock is the early sprig of white clover that covers the hillside. There is no proof that it was used to teach the trinity, but it is a legend that has held firm and fast throughout the years.

The other primary legend about Saint Patrick was that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Due to the fact that snakes are not native to Ireland, and wouldn’t be able to survive a swim to the shores, this legend is thought to be more allegory than fact. It’s a story meant to symbolize how he converted many of the native Irish from pagan practices to Christianity.

Why is green everywhere?

From rivers died green to kegs of green beer, the ubiquitous color of St. Patrick’s Day is green. Schoolyard tradition has children of all ages scrambling to find the smallest dots of green to avoid getting pinched, but why? Green has become the color of the holiday, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, the color blue was associated with Saint Patrick until the 1800s, when supporters of Irish independence used the color to help promote their cause. The color green had little to do with the actual feast day of Saint Patrick and more to do with marketing, especially as the holiday became more and more popular around the world.

What should I serve on St. Patrick’s Day?

All across America, home cooks and restaurants alike will be serving up platters of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes as a nod to the Irish heritage of the holiday. But before you finalize your menu, you might want to take a minute and realize that what we think of as traditional Irish fare isn’t necessarily authentic. While potatoes are a staple of Irish cuisine, the corned beef was an addition made by Irish immigrants since it was an affordable cut of meat that they could purchase from their Jewish neighbors. And needless to say, green eggs and ham and green beer are festive and fun, but not traditional Irish food.

Whether you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing a small green token, or go all out and spend the day at an Irish pub dancing and singing, it has become a fun holiday that livens up the month of March without the pressure of buying the perfect gift!