What is St.Patrick's Day and How Does Ireland Celebrate it?

On March 17th every year Ireland and around the world celebrate St.Patrick’s Day. It is not only a celebration of green fun but also a day to recognize, appreciate and show people’s Irish history and heritage.

Who was St.Patrick?

The patron saint of Ireland or St.Patrick is one of the widely known Christian figures that came from England in the late 4th century. At 16 he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave, he did escape but returned years later to convert the Irish to Christianity. As it was said that God came to him in a dream and told him that he would help convert Christianity to the Irish people.

He did exactly that, he traveled all around Ireland, teaching people about Christianity. It is believed that he used a 3-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy trinity (God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit), this is now seen as the official symbol of St.Patrick's Day.

Before his death on March 17th in the year 461, he managed to set up churches, schools, and monasteries.

St. Patrick's day became Ireland's official national holiday in 1903 and on the 17th of March, families would pin a bunch of shamrocks to their coats and jackets to go to Mass.

Nowadays, St.Patrick’s Day has become more of a celebration with parades being held in Dublin, and other small towns across Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Ireland

In rural areas of Ireland, it is celebrated in a more traditional style. With traditional music, singing, and dancing as well as horse racing and small local parades. You may often hear the Irish language (Gaeilge - also known as Gaelic) spoken in these small towns during the celebrations.

In larger cities and other popular areas, expect to see larger parades and crowds in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Limerick. These places can get very busy, which is why some people may prefer to go to more of the rural areas instead.

In Ireland you wouldn’t expect to see a green-dyed river (like in Chicago, USA) or drink green beer, Rather, they would add some green to the buildings and wear silly hats.

In the USA however, St. Patrick's day is especially famous, with many cities having large ethnic Irish communities. In cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago for example, there are also St. Patrick's Day parades and parties celebrated as well.

Traditions of St.Patrick's Day in Ireland

There is a tale that says that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns, and if you don’t wear green they will pinch you. Other people think that green will also bring good luck and wear it in honor of their Irish ancestry. 

Other Irish traditions include wearing shamrocks (and even drinking one in an Irish Whiskey), Drinking Guinness, and pinching anyone who isn’t wearing green.

St.Patrick’s day is celebrated a little differently in the USA, with over 50% of Americans celebrating it in 2022 and spending about $5 billion on the preparations and celebrations. 

American-Irish have other traditions, like eating corned beef and cabbage and soda bread, you may also see green beer, as well as green milkshakes.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you’re Irish, or if you have Irish heritage, or not, this can be celebrated by all. From Ireland to the USA and even reaching Sydney, many people celebrate St.Patrick's Day each year.

Go and drink some Guinness or Whiskey, wear some green, and come join this Irish celebration.