Food & Traditions of St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a widely celebrated holiday in the United States, Ireland and Irish communities around the globe. Established in honor of Ireland's patron saint, festivities are held annually on March 17 to celebrate the legacy of St. Patrick as well as Irish heritage and solidarity. A number of unique traditions are practiced on this popular holiday.

Origins

St. Patrick's Day was originally created as a feast day by the Catholic Church, honoring the life of Ireland's patron saint. St. Patrick, who died in the 5th century, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Thus, the holiday was first established as a religious celebration, a time of spiritual renewal. However, March 17 has been embraced and reinterpreted by inhabitants of the United States in modern times. St. Patrick's Day is now recognized internationally as a day where everyone gets to be Irish.

Parades

Parades are one of the holiday's cherished traditions. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was staged in New York City, not Ireland. Irish soldiers in the occupying English army marched around New York City in 1762 as a sign of solidarity. Irish patriotism remained strong over the following decades as more immigrants from Ireland continued to arrive in the United States. A couple of Irish Aid societies in New York City worked together to plan a joint parade route for St. Patrick's Day in 1848, establishing what would become the oldest and largest civilian parade in the country.

Today, the three largest St. Patrick's Day parades are held in Dublin, Ireland; New York City; and Birmingham, England. Large parades also are held in most major cities throughout the United States as well as London, Paris, Moscow and Beijing.

Wearing Green

Wearing green is a popular tradition on St. Patrick's Day. This is actually not an Irish custom. The Irish typically wear tricolored shirts of green, white and orange, representing the national colors. The tradition of wearing green clothing was started in the United States. Some people go all out on this holiday, wearing green outfits complete with green hats, gloves and other accessories.

Shamrocks

Shamrocks are an Irish symbol widely used on St. Patrick's Day. Irish legend has it that St. Patrick selected a three-leafed clover known as a shamrock as a symbol for the Holy Trinity of the church. The shamrock eventually became a symbol of Irish nationalism, especially when the English tried to suppress Irish culture beginning in the 17th century.

Drinking

Despite the religious foundations of St. Patrick's Day, this holiday has evolved over time and the festivities on March 17 have become synonymous with heavy drinking. Many adults consume large quantities of alcohol on St. Patrick's Day as they celebrate. Regular beers are often dyed green. Bars and restaurants help people indulge with specials on Irish beers, such as Guinness, Murphy's, Harp and Smithwick's. Other popular Irish drinks include Jameson's whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream.

Food

One of the traditional foods served on St. Patrick's Day is corned beef and cabbage. The Irish have used cabbage as a staple in their diet for centuries. Quality Irish bacon was originally served with cabbage in Ireland for the March 17 festivities, but many of the first Irish immigrants in the United States could not afford bacon so they used corned beef as a substitute. This trend caught on, and corned beef and cabbage is now the standard dish at St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

References

• American Greetings
• Religion Facts