Week 10 - Ireland's most world famous holiday

 

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Living in the USA for almost five years now, I realized that Americans just love to throw parties and celebrate any occasion. Every month is dedicated to one or more particular holiday(s) - with Christmas in December being the most valued. This month's holiday is a European one. It's St. Patrick's Day.

How many people actually know why it's celebrated though? My answer would be: not too many. So, let's take a look at St. Patty's history.

According to our favorite website Wikipedia ;), Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration occurring annually on March 17, the death date of the most commonly-recognized patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461).

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. 

Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services, and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

In the United States, more than 100 St. Patrick's Day parades are held across the country; with Boston and New York City being the home of the largest celebrations.

Did you know that more than 34 mio. U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry? That's more than seven times the population of Ireland. If you want to read up on more interesting facts about St. Patrick's Day, check out this graphic.