November 15, 2017
Characterized by green beer, lucky charms and Irish-style food, St. Patrick’s Day is a fun-filled celebration that many people look forward to every year. It took hundreds of years for the holiday to adopt the elements that now seem critical to its March 17 celebrations, but how did it all begin?
It all began in 1631 when the Church established a Fest Day in honor of St. Patrick. Historians say St. Patrick was actually born Maewyn Succat, and he was a Roman citizen because Britain was Roman during this time. He was then enslaved and brought to Ireland where he was either released or escaped.
He later changed his name to Patricius or Patrick, which derives from the Latin term for “father figure” after becoming a priest and moving back to Ireland. Today, all the themed merchandise for St. Patrick’s Day comes from the supposed luck of Patrick.
Modern-day celebrations started to really take off in the 1700s. In 1762, the first New York City parade was held. The color green officially became symbolic of the day in 1798. Before this time, the color blue was used to represent the momentous holiday.
The green beer tradition didn’t come until the late 20th century when Ireland repealed a law that shut down pubs and businesses in honor of the day. In the 1980s, green beer became a popular representation of St. Patrick’s Day.
There you have it, now you have an understanding of the history behind the holiday that many of us cherish so much. Cheers!
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