By The Resident Historian

It is the middle of March and that means that everything is turning green. Well, this year it is really cold and nothing is growing green yet, but it is still Saint Patrick’s Day. But what is Saint Pat’s day? Where does it come from and what is with all the green?

St. Patrick’s Day is the observance of the death of the patron saint of Ireland. He died on March 17, 461, in Ireland. It has been celebrated in Ireland for over 1000 years. The traditional observation of this holiday in Ireland is to go to church in the morning and then spend the afternoon celebrating. The celebration would include the consumption of meat, drink and dancing, which would normally be prohibited because of Lent. You want to know what they ate? You guessed it Irish bacon (corned beef) and cabbage. Who would have thought it?

But who was Patrick and why is he a saint? Patrick was born in Roman Britain, but he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. When he escaped, he actually returned to Ireland to spread Christianity there.

The stories surrounding Patrick are part of the Irish culture to this day. Shamrocks, which have three leaves were, as the story goes, used by Patrick to tell the story of the Trinity. He used the three leaves to show rather than just tell about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That explains all the shamrocks during Saint Patrick’s Day. This also explains the green color being associated with the holiday.

Today all around the world there are Saint Patrick’s Day Parades. However, they do not come from Ireland. How does that make sense? The earliest parade was held in St. Augustine, in Florida in 1601. The first parade in New York City was held in 1772. Therefore, the Saint Patrick’s Day parade is actually an American invention. As more and more Irish immigrants came to America their cultural pride was exhibited during Saint Patrick Day parades held throughout the country in cities like Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and of course New York City.

This year, as well as last, the parade in New York was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. However, a tradition that goes back over a thousand years cannot be ended when a parade is cancelled temporarily. So, take a moment to think about Saint Patrick and all the good he did for the world and for the people of Ireland. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!