Holidays are special times to come together with friends and family and observe or celebrate a particular event. Often based on anachronistic and unverifiable tales, people use these stories as justifications to spend time and cherish those close to them.
In American culture, many holidays have strayed quite far from how they were initially observed. Because America hosts a collection of different cultures, people have taken certain aspects of a holiday and made it their own unique celebration.
St. Patrick’s Day is an embodiment of this phenomenon. In modern America, it has become a day to celebrate Irish culture and heritage, usually by wearing green, pinching those who are not, drinking shamrock shakes, and, for many adults, drinking copious amounts of green beer.
Interestingly, St. Patrick’s Day festivities as we know them began with Irish immigrants in the latter half of the 18th century. Immigrants would put on parades in New York City, singing native songs, playing bagpipes, and wearing green, which symbolized Irish rebellion and was banned in Ireland itself during British rule. They did this to honor and connect with the homeland they longed for.
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However, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland was a solemn religious holiday rather than a celebration of all things Irish. It was a day of observance to St. Patrick, a Roman enslaved person turned Catholic missionary who spread Christianity throughout fifth-century Ireland. The Catholic Church venerates him as the patron saint of Ireland. Ironically, pubs would be closed in observance of the holiday.
However, time marches on. According to “The Wearing of The Green: A History of St. Patrick’s Day” by Mike Cronin and Daryl Adair, Irish public officials in the late 1970s grew quite envious of the American version of the holiday. They began trying to import the celebration to Ireland, often by consulting American St. Patrick’s Day experts.
It notes that while it was successful, the meaning of the American celebration was lost across the pond, and the experience was relatively empty to Irish citizens.
This St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to spend time with family and friends, adorn the clover shirts and leprechaun buckle trim hats, and remember that cultural influence is a two-way street.
Noah Schlarman, Executive Editor