Saint Patrick’s Day is an annual holiday celebrated on March 17, which is the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death during the fifth century. For over 1,000 years, the Irish have celebrated this day as a religious holiday. Irish families would attend church in the morning and spend the rest of the day celebrating. Later on, there would be huge parades where families and loved ones get together to dance and spend time with each other.
The famous Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain, which is surprising because many people still think he was born in Ireland. At only 16 years old, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave. Later,he escaped, but then returned to Ireland and brought Christianity to the Irish.
Even centuries after Saint Patrick’s death, which is believed to be on March 17, 461, a myth started surrounding his life that was popularized in Irish culture. The most famous legend of Saint Patrick was his explanation of the Holy Trinity, using the 3-leaf Irish Clover, also known as the shamrock, as a guide. The shamrock was called the “seamory” by the Celts, and is considered a sacred plant that was used to symbolize the beginning of spring. It became a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.
The first Saint Patrick’s day was celebrated around the ninth or 10th century, but the Irish chose March 17 to observe the Roman Catholic feast day. America was the first to have a St. Patrick’s Day parade, which records show to have been on March 17, 1601. A Spanish colony was the first to have this parade, in present day Florida.
New York City and Boston were soon to follow in Florida’s footsteps, and they then began to also have parades to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. Other states also began to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a huge parade. At first, the Irish and Americans did not get along, because of nativist tendencies brought on by immigration after the Potato Famine..
During the 19th century, about one million Irish died, due to this famine, and about two million people abandoned their lands in Ireland. This immigration influx was the largest single population movement of the 19th century, causing heightened fear for Americans, as Irish refugees began to wash up on U.S. soil. This fear turned to rage and hatred for the “foreign aliens,” causing the two groups to clash, beginning a famed feud.
This was the start of how the Americans and Irish did not at all first get along with each other. Another reason why Americans were not fond of the Irish was because they criticized the Irish for their poverty, their laziness, lack of discipline, Catholic religion, and their public drinking style.
When the Irish first got to America, they were willing to work for low wages, which Americans did not seem to support. These were all the main reasons why the Irish were not liked by Americans when they first got to America. St. Patrick’s day is still celebrated to this day because Saint Patrick brought Christianity to the Irish. People celebrate this holiday by having huge parades in Ireland, America, and many other places across the world.