WRITTEN BY MELINA DE LA CRUZ
1,500 years ago St Patrick passed away on March 17th and the Irish who followed him created the holiday of St Patrick's Day to honor his memory. He was a patron Saint of Ireland and its National apostle. He was a slave from Wales who returned to Ireland and helped bring Christianity to the people after escaping. He is most well known for having explained the Holy Trinity using the Shamrock (a three-leafed clover) that is now known as The Legend of Saint Patrick. St Patrick's Day as we know it is celebrated with beer, parades, and the color green. The first celebration where a parade took place was not in Ireland but in America. On March 17th, 1601 a Spanish colony in Florida was organized by Ricardo Artur. A century later Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in New York in 1772 to honor St Patrick. Over the following years, Saint Patrick's Day became a way to honor Irish soldiers' heritage. One big tradition in America is the annual dying of the Chicago River green. This started in 1962 when workers in the city used dye to trace illegal sewage discards but realized it was a fun way to celebrate the holiday. That same year in 1962 they released 100 lbs of green vegetable dye into the river. Because of the environmental damage, they now only use 40 lbs of dye and the river only stays green for hours instead of a week. One of the most popular icons for the holiday is the leprechaun. The original name for the small creature was lobaircin which meant small-bodied fellow. The belief in leprechauns comes from the Celtic belief in fairies. Many folktales include leprechauns as cranky souls responsible for the mending of shoes of other fairies. Leprechauns are known for their tricky and mischievous behavior in trying to protect their gold. They also have their own holiday, May 13th, but are celebrated mostly on St Patrick's Day. Comments are closed.
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AuthorDana Barbee Archives
May 2023
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