St. Patrick's Day 2023

Posted On Wednesday March 08, 2023

March 17th is St. Patrick's Day.

Contributor: The I.D.E.A Committee

March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. While not a national holiday in the U.S., St. Patrick's Day is a celebration for Irish and non-Irish Americans alike.

St. Patrick's Day is, however, a national holiday in Ireland; and its festivals and events traditionally kick off the tourism Season. Until about 40 years ago, St. Patrick's Day celebrations were actually solemn and religious. Bars even remained closed. It was an American celebration that created the St. Patrick's Day we know today.

Did you know….

Who was St. Patrick? St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Much of the information about St. Patrick's contains legends e.g., driving snakes out of Ireland. Based on historical information, he was born in Britain near the end of the 4th century. As a teenager, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in Northern Ireland where he had to work as a shepherd. Eventually escaping to Britain, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary. He is credited with spreading Christianity throughout Ireland.

What is the significance of St. Patrick’s Day? Traditions vary in Ireland and the United States. Starting in 1631 in Ireland, it was a Catholic religious feast day commemorating the anniversary of his death. For several centuries beyond this, March 17 was a day of solemnity in Ireland with Catholics attending church in the morning and partaking of modest feasts in the afternoon.

There were no parades and blue was the color associated with St. Patrick until the 1798 Irish Rebellion.

Who started the first celebration in the US? There are records showing the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601 in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebrations a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colonies Irish vicar Ricardo Artur.

However, Boston claims they started the first celebration. According to one set of records, it started in 1737, when approximately 2 dozen Presbyterians Irish immigrants from the north of Ireland gathered to honor St. Patrick and formed the Charitable Irish Society, which still exists today.

Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there as more and more immigrants arrived from Ireland.

How many Americans have an Irish heritage? Based on Census information as of March 16, 2021, data shows Irish heritage is very strong in the United States. More than 31.5 million residents claim Irish ancestry, second only to German (43 million). This is virtually one in ten Americans. In February 2022, President Joseph Biden signed a proclamation designating March 2022 as Irish American heritage month.

What is the significance of the shamrock? The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, has been associated with Ireland for centuries. It was called the “seamroy” by the Celts who considered it a sacred plant symbolizing the arrival of spring. According to legend, St. Patrick used it to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity. Eventually, it became a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.

Do the Irish eat corned beef and cabbage? The meal that became associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, corned beef and cabbage, is an American tradition. Ham and cabbage were eaten in Ireland; corned beef was cheaper for immigrants. Irish-Americans living in the New York slums in the late 19th century and early 20th, bought leftover corned beef from ships returning from the tea trade in China. They boiled it three times and included cabbage the last time to remove some of the brine.

Some traditional foods in Ireland, and ultimately in the US, are Irish soda bread, Irish Stew, Shepherd’s Pie, Boxty, Colcannon, seafood, and more.

Irish Music and Dancing

Irish music is often associated with St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture in general. From the ancient days of the Celts, music has been an integral part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs.

After being conquered by the English, the Irish were forbidden to speak their own language. Music was used to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history.

Fiddles, pipes and harps might come to mind when thinking about Irish music. And along with the music, one might think of Irish Step Dancing.

Often, musicians gather in a pub for a traditional session (seisiún). These are mostly informal gatherings at which people play Irish traditional music. Sessions are usually led by one or more musicians who keep the music flowing by starting tunes; other players are invited to start their own songs and all join in to play music together. Singers are often asked to sing or volunteer to do so. !

At an Irish music session, you’ll see fiddles, flutes, whistles, concertinas, banjos, accordions, pipes, bodhráns, guitars and sometimes even piano, mandolin, or hammered dulcimer!

There are many theories and legends about Irish dancing, e.g., “why do dancers keep their arms at their sides?”. This is the case with Irish Step Dancing. However, there are many forms of Irish dances where it is not the case.