St. Patrick’s Day ( Feast Day) 2023 will take place on Friday, March 17, the anniversary of the patron saint’s death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lent prohibitions were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage.
Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain in the late 4th century, kidnapped at the age of 16, and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped but returned to convert the Irish to Christianity. By the time of his death, he had established monasteries, churches, and schools. Many legends grew up around him—for example, that he drove the snakes out of Ireland and used the shamrock to explain the Trinity. Ireland came to celebrate his day with religious services and feasts.
It was Irish immigrants to the United States who transformed St. Patrick’s Day into a holiday of celebration of things Irish. Boston held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1737, followed by New York City in 1762.Today, that parade is the world‘s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants. Irish and non-Irish alike commonly participate in the wearing green and sporting a shamrock, the Irish national plant.
So, whether your pleasure is to consume copious amounts of green beer or sporting a shamrock, get the famed “Luck of the Irish” and join in on the festivities this year!
WAYS TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Shamrocks
Shamrocks are a three-leafed clover plant long associated with Ireland and indelibly associated with St. Paddy’s day. Legend has it that St. Patrick used the three-leafed plant to explain the Holy Trinity while preaching. Then, in the 18th century, the shamrock plant was adopted as a symbol of Ireland’s push for independence from Britain alongside the Irish green color reminiscent of the isle’s grass. Today, Ireland’s shamrock has come to represent the nation as a whole . So, go celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a pot full of blooing shamrocks!
Leprechauns
The leprechaun with a pot of gold is one of the most enduring symbols associated with Ireland. The mythical, miniature, supernatural beings are associated with bringing good luck to humans and protect them. The stereotypcial leprechaun who wears green, is cheerful, and lives at the end of a rainbow, where he doles out pots of gold and good luck dressed in the familiar outfit of green pants and coat, yellow waistcoat, and buckled shoes. So, what are you waiting for? Go celebrate St. Patrick’s day with some leprechauns who can bring you luck!
Corned Beef and Cabbage
In Ireland, the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal was bacon and cabbage, but due to the high cost of bacon in America, in the 19th century the resourceful Irish American immigrants substituted corned beef instead. The “boiled dinner” of corned beef and cheap cabbage has been associated with Irish Americans’ celebration of their heritage ever since. Corned beef is a brisket that’s been cured in a spice and salt brine for 5 days, giving it a unique spicy, savory, tangy, and sweet flavor and tender texture. Originally designed to preserve meat before the invention of refrigeration, the name “corned” refers to the large grains of salt, resembling kernels of corn, that were used to cure the beef. With time, corned beef and cabbage became the classic dinner recipe served on St. Patrick’s Day. A classic Irish-American dish of tender corn beef brisket slow cooked with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, it’s an ultimate comfort food and a tasty way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at your favorite Irish pub drinking green beer or make your own homemade Corned Beef.
