St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day
For centuries, Irish immigrants have been migrating to distant continents. Nowadays, the populations of the United States, Canada or Australia comprise of big percentages of citizens with Irish origins. That is why the cultural influence this relatively small country has on big nations is immense. A good example of such impact is St. Patrick’s Day, a popular Irish holiday that has spread throughout the entire world and has appropriated the date of March 17.
It is a celebration full of parades, the color green, leprechauns and traditional Irish food and drinks. It used to be a feast for the Catholic saint, but its religious undertones have been gradually fading, giving way to commercialized parties and increased alcohol consumption. Even the meaning of Irish roots, folklore and history has been declining, though there are attempts at reviving it. After all, St. Patrick’s Day is a giant worldwide event that the public should be aware is of Irish descent.
The St. Patrick’s Day tradition was shipped to America with its first Irish immigrants, who already in 1737 observed their green holiday in Boston. That celebration did not involve religious beliefs but only cultural traits of Ireland. Although the holiday had been yearly observed ever since, the first full-scale parade took place in New York only in the 1760s. It happened, however, almost 150 years before it did in Ireland. Sources state that it was Irish soldiers that marched along to their native music in the 18th century colony. Almost two decades later, General George Washington allowed his soldiers a celebration known today as The Saint Patrick’s Day Encampment of 1780. Within the following century, many “Irish Aid” societies, such as the Hibernian Society or Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick came to existence in order to coordinate the holiday parades in New York. In 1848, they joined in the official New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has been held yearly since. Other prominent celebrations in the United States include those in Georgia (since 1824), Miami (since 1952), or Chicago, where the city river has been annually dyed green for more than half a century.
When it comes to Canada, St. Patrick celebrations began in Montreal in 1759. The city developed its parade in 1824, and it has been one of the most famous St. Patrick’s Day events in the world since. Quebec City had its mass celebrations between 1837 and 1926; the Parade has been re-established in 2010. Also Toronto is a place with a long history of holiday parades, starting in 1863. The factor that contributed to the popularity of these events in the US, Canada, but also Australia, was the Great Potato Famine of 1845, which chased many Irish citizens away from their native country, looking for better living conditions across oceans.
Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has distanced itself from religion. The holiday is no longer a break in Lent that enables a joyful commemoration of the patron’s sacrifice made to bring Christianity to Ireland. North America and Australia use this day for loud parades and big parties, featuring the most clichéd traits of Irish culture, such as beer, whisky, leprechauns, and the shamrock. There are, however, charming St. Patrick traditions, such as sports teams wearing green costumes in Toronto, Philadelphia or Cincinnati. Some people use green to try and raise environmental awareness on March 17. During parades in many cities all over the world, such as Sydney and Brisbane in Australia, participants wear traditional Irish costumes and display the country’s flag.
The Feast of St. Patrick, apart from Ireland and Northern Ireland, is an official public holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, in Suffolk County, Massachusetts and in Savannah, Georgia. Hardly does it change the work day for employees in these countries. Similarly to Australia, on March 17 every institution and business is open as usual; that is why many a time St. Patrick’s Day parades are moved to the closest weekend so as not to disrupt the public life. The celebrations are held annually, however, and with great pomp, too. The Irish spirit lives within all the revelers, on whatever continent.