As a day celebrated all over the world, St. Patrick’s Day is a highly recognized holiday celebrated during March. As a day intended to commemorate Irish culture and history, St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in a variety of ways.

How did this holiday come to be, and why do we celebrate it today? This answer is not necessarily a simple one, but rather one that is speculated upon regarding the origins of St. Patrick and why he is immortalized through this holiday.

St. Patrick’s identity is rather unclear. Over the centuries, many different theories about St. Patrick have surfaced, leaving many confused about what is true. One idea is that St. Patrick was a patron saint born in Britain around the fourth century, but was kidnapped by Irish Raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave.

During his imprisonment, St. Patrick became a devoted Christian as a way to bring him solace. St. Patrick returned to Ireland years later to bring Christianity to Ireland, serving as a Christian missionary.

Many ideas surrounding the significance of St. Patrick has varied from story to story, like St. Patrick banishing snakes from Ireland or that he was Irish-born. In fact, many of these stories- many of which have been proven false- increase St. Patrick’s popularity, and made his story and purpose much more well-known.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17th in commemoration of St. Patrick’s death on March 17 in the fifth century. 

St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated as a religious holiday for around 1,000 years. The day was originally celebrated in Ireland, but was spread around the world and brought to the United States by Irish immigrants. 

Initially, the holiday was honored through religious discourse and feasting, but more Irish culture and traditions were introduced to the holiday as it became more widespread. 

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have become popular within the United States, and the first reported parade for the holiday dates back to 1601. More St. Patrick’s Day parades became popularized throughout major US cities throughout the 1700s, in cities such as New York City and Boston.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, be sure to celebrate responsibly, and ultimately have fun! From us at CEWT, we hope you have a day filled with fun and festivities!

Sources:

History of St. Patrick’s Day https://bit.ly/3Jft1n0

St. Patrick’s Day Legends and Myths Debunked https://bit.ly/3mQTAax

Who Was St. Patrick? https://bit.ly/3yHC8bf