St. Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates St. Patrick, the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Because St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent, it became a day for Christians to take a break from the abstinence practiced during the weeks leading up to Easter. By the 1700’s, the holiday had started to take a decidedly more festive turn than its founders had intended.
In America, St. Patrick’s Day slowly shifted from a religious observation to a secular celebration of Irish heritage. Irish Americans in Boston held the first celebration in 1737. In 1762, New York City held its first parade, which is the oldest and largest St.Patrick’s Day parade in the world.
Saint Patrick’s given name was Maewyn Succat; when he became an ordained priest he chose the name, Patrick. Maewyn was born into a wealthy family in the fourth century in Roman Britain, possibly in the area now known as Wales. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity working as a shepherd. It was during this time that Patrick found God. After his escape, Patrick became a priest and returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. He spent many years evangelizing in the northern half of Ireland and converted thousands. By the time of his death on March 17, 461, Patrick, described as a humble man, had established monasteries, churches, and schools.
Legends say that Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, three persons in one God, to students, by showing the example of the three-leaved plant with one stalk. In pagan Ireland, three was a significant number, the Irish had many triple deities, which may have aided Patrick in his evangelisation efforts. Icons of St. Patrick depict him with a cross in one hand and a sprig of shamrocks in the other.
Some are surprised to learn that Patrick was never canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church despite living in constant danger of martyrdom. This lack of official sainthood is because there was no formal canonization process in the 400s.
Before the nineteenth century the color linked to St. Patrick was blue. Green is now the typical hue, thanks to Irish immigrants who came to America and celebrated their Irish ancestry by wearing this symbolic color. The color green is represented in Ireland’s flag and the country is referred to as “the Emerald Isle.” According to fun folklore, you get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day for not wearing green because green makes you invisible to Leprechauns. Leprechauns are mischievous creatures, according to legend, that like to pinch people.
The original Irish shamrock is traditionally spelled seamrog, which means summer plant. The shamrock has been used as a symbol of the Emerald Isle since the late 17th century. The shamrock is a type of clover, although Botanists are divided on which species of clover. Shamrocks aren’t unique to Ireland, they grow all over Europe and the United States. The nectar of shamrock flowers is a favorite of bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators. The shamrock or white clover is the perfect plant for organic lawn care as it fixes nitrogen. It keeps soil in better shape than grass does and it I s an excellent forage crop for livestock due to its high protein content. The shamrock is firmly established as an Irish emblem. For good luck, it is usually included in the bouquet of an Irish bride and the boutonnière of the groom. Viewed as an act of rebellion in Victorian England, Irish regiments were forbidden to display the shamrock.
Since 2010, famous landmarks have been lit up in green on St. Patrick’s Day as a part of Ireland’s “Global Greening Initiative.” The Sydney Opera House and the Sky Tower in Auckland were the first to participate and since then three hundred landmarks in fifty countries across the globe have gone green for St. Patrick’s Day.
Every year, officials turn the Chicago River green in honor of St. Patrick and the many Irish immigrants who helped settle the city.
“May you all have the happiness and luck that life can hold—and at the end of your rainbows may you find a pot of gold.” -Old Irish Blessing
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
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