St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 is often celebrated with timely traditions such as Chicago dying its river emerald green and us having St. Patrick’s Day parades and drinking drinks like the Shamrock Shakes from McDonald’s.
Here are 9 surprising facts that you might not know about how St. Patrick’s Day started, its legendary symbols and how it is still celebrated today
1. St. Patrick’s Day’s Namesake Was Not Born Irish.
People often wonder: “What is the true story of St. Patrick’s Day?” The holiday is named after St. Patrick, a Patron Saint of Ireland, who died around the fifth century. However, St. Patrick is thought to have been a Roman citizen in Britain who was enslaved and taken to Ireland, either escaped or was released, then returned as a priest and converted Druids to Christianity. Also, if you wonder why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 it’s because that it is believed to be the date that he died.
2. St. Patrick’s Day Began As a Catholic Feast Day
St. Patrick’s Day was originally started in 1631 by the Catholic Church as a Feast Day honouring Saint Patrick. It was one of many church holidays. The holiday came to the US and Canada by Irish immigrants and changed into a show of Irish-American pride and a worldwide celebration of Irish culture. Another bit of history is that St. Patrick’s Day was inspired by Irish-Americans. Ireland’s National Agriculture and Industrial Association organized the parade in Dublin in the early 1950s to showcase Irish industries. Dublin tourism took over the parade from 1970 until a St. Patrick’s Day parade committee was established in 1995 which changed the festival into a weekend than a week. The government started the weeklong St. Patrick’s Day Festival in 1995 and the holiday was made even more popular that year because they had an Irish government campaign.
3. Legend Says Saint Patrick Used the Shamrock to Teach Christianity.
The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts and was considered a sacred plant that symbolized the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used the plant as a visual guide when explaining the Holy Trinity. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. The shamrock became associated more broadly with Ireland as a symbol during rebellions against Britain in the 18th century. Here’s a fun fact for leaf clovers are very rare because it takes a recessive trait to develop the fourth leaf.
4. Green Became Connected to Saint Patrick after Irish Rebellions
Green being an Irish colour has political origins. The colour goes back to the great Irish rebellion of 1641 where Catholic local leaders fought against the English crown. They were using a green flag with a heart as an emblem. Green was also born during the Irish rebellion of 1798. The Irish forces promoted the nationalistic song called The Wearing of the Green which celebrated the colour’s connection with Ireland. Before these rebellions you’ll be surprised to know that Ireland’s official colour was actually blue.
5. The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was Held in America.
The shamrock became associated more broadly with Ireland as a symbol during rebellions against Britain in the 18th century. History records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17 he no one in a Spanish colony which is now called St. Augustine, Florida. The parade and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony’s Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 17. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. In 2020 and 2021, parades from many countries and the US, including in New York City and Boston, were canceled or postponed for the first time in decades due to the COVID-19 virus. They returned in 2022.
6. Leprechauns Originated In Irish Folklore
The red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies— tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. The supernatural fairies, or sprites, were thought to bring good luck and protection to humans, or to mess up their plans. The oldest written reference to leprechauns was in a medieval story about three magical fairies, or sprites, who drug the King of Ulster into the ocean. The legend gained popularity in the 19th century, when leprechauns were painted as grouchy shoemakers who guarded gold. Walt Disney’s depiction of a more cheerful leprechaun kicked off the current commercialized image.
7. An American Union Started Dyeing the Chicago River Green Decades Ago.
One of the most famous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations is in the US. Chicago temporarily dyes the Chicago River green and they used about 40 pounds of environmentally friendly dye. Starting in 1955, workers decided to use green dye to help identify the source of sewage in the river. This idea to dye the entire river came after Stephen Bailey, the business manager for the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Local Union started to notice the plumbers white overalls turned green. The tradition began in 1962 when the Plumbers Local Union dyed the river green with 100 pounds of dye for a week and it still continues.
8. Corned Beef and Cabbage Is an Irish-American Invention.
The dish is Not common in Ireland. But Irish immigrants that came to the US found a cheaper version to the meat more common in Ireland bacon or ham. They used beef instead. They cured the beef using corn sized crystals. It is because of the crystals that the meat is called “corned” beef. They made cabbage with the beef because it was one of the cheapest vegetables available. Irish-Americans living in the slums of lower Manhattan in the late 19th century and early 20th century bought leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in China. The Irish people would boil the beef three times. During the last time they boiled it they would boil it with cabbage to remove some of the salt water.
9. There Were No Snakes around For Saint Patrick To Banish From Ireland.
Another legend associated with Saint Patrick is that he stood on an Irish hillside and banished all the snakes from Ireland. He made them all slither away into the sea. Snakes are referenced in the Bible as evil. But if the legend is to be taken literally, research suggests snakes in fact never occupied the Emerald Isle. There are no signs of snakes in the countries fossil record. Also, water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacier year. Before that Ireland was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles to live.
I thought we could finish class watching a famous Irish dance and the song it came from.
NYDP Communication Enrichment Class 