No matter where you are on March 17th, chances are high that you’re close to one of the many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is observed in cities across the U.S. and around the world. The holiday has come to mean different things for different groups of people, whether it’s celebrating Irish heritage and identity, welcoming the beginning of the spring season, or just as an excuse to wear green. While new St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are happening every year, the traditions, myths, and meanings behind the holiday go back centuries.
You may associate the holiday with shamrocks and Guinness, but that wasn’t always the case. Historically, St. Patrick’s Day honored Maewyn Succat, an English priest from the fourth century who later became Saint Patrick. The Catholic Church established a feast day for Saint Patrick as a way to honor him as one of the patron saints of Ireland. This day is still observed centuries later around the world, with the addition of parades and parties celebrating the Irish spirit!
The holiday may have started as a way to honor Saint Patrick, but we have Irish-Americans to thank for starting some of the traditions we tend to associate with March 17th. The first official parade in honor of St. Patrick’s Day took place in eighteenth century New York, during the American Revolutionary War. At the time, Irish immigrants serving in the British Colonial Army took to the streets of New York to observe St. Patrick’s Day, thus establishing what is now America’s longest-running parade. Today, New York remains the most popular place for St. Patrick’s Day gatherings in the United States!
What about the tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green? Well, that ritual began in the 1960s when parade organizers noticed that a dye used to identify traces of pollution in the river actually turned the water a vibrant emerald green color! Since then, the river has been dyed each year on the morning before the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Whether you’re celebrating the holiday by heading to a St. Patrick’s Day parade or by tasting some traditional Irish fare, remember to #ExpectExchange wherever you go!