Saint Patrick's Day and how it is celebrated

Did you know that tomorrow is St Patrick's Day?

St Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around March 17. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints.

Perhaps the best-known legend of Saint Patrick involves the shamrock, the little plant that has gone on to become famous throughout the world as a symbol of Irish heritage.  St Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved clover which grows all over the island, to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity i.e. the theory that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are each separate elements of just one entity.  Probably as famous as the story of the shamrock is the legend of Saint Patrick driving all the snakes of Ireland into the sea where they drowned.

  Saint Patrick's Day (approximately 385-461AD) is celebrated on 17 March each year.  It corresponds to the day of his death.  The celebration was originally celebrated only in Ireland and during the earlier times this was considered a sombre day of remembrance.          

 Around the ninth and tenth centuries over four hundred years after Saint Patrick had died, the people of Ireland began to celebrate a feast day to honour him.  This day also became a national holiday Ireland.

                                 

 This is a key element as to why Saint Patrick's Day became so important to practicing Christians. March 17 falls during the Christian season known as Lent.  During Lent, Christians gave up something for a period of forty days (excluding Sundays) until the Easter period. Saint Patrick’s Day essentially provided an extra ‘Sunday’ where the restrictions of lent were lessened.

                 

 Saint Patrick’s Day continued to be celebrated in the same fashion up until the 1700’s.  But as the Irish migrated to North America and the rest of the world, they brought with them their Saint Patrick.

     

 While it is unclear how the modern celebrations of Saint Patrick’s Day began.  It is believed that the first parade was held in New York and not Ireland. The parade was put on by Irish soldiers stationed in New York as part of the British Army in 1762. The parades were a way for the soldiers to remember their roots while they were away from home for long periods of time.  Outside of New York, Saint Patrick’s Day parades began to spring up all over the world.  Most of the parades were held in places where the Irish population had grown. 

Normally on St Patrick’s Day people will leave work and go to the city centre and join in the celebrations of St Patrick’s Day.  You may notice students around the campus celebrating too, oh and don’t be too surprised if you see people walking around Liverpool dressed in large green hats and wearing green clothes.  Some may simply have a shamrock painted on their face. This is all part of how some people will celebrate on the 17 March.

Nowadays St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish communities and organisations. Parties featuring Irish food and drinks that are dyed in green food colour are part of this celebration. It is a time when children can indulge in sweets and adults can enjoy a “pint” of beer at a local pub. Many restaurants and pubs offer Irish food or drink, which may include:      

Irish brown bread

Corned beef and cabbage

Beef and Guinness pie

Irish stew

Irish champ potato

Irish potato soup

And for dessert:

Irish cream chocolate mousse cake finished by a refreshing pint of Guinness (beer) or an Irish coffee (coffee/whisky).     

Why not check out the following link to see how Dublin and the World celebrated St Patrick’s Day in 2014.  

Will you be joining in the festivities? Let us know what you will be doing or your thoughts on these celebrations.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!