What Saint Patrick’s Day Means to Irish and Americans
Written by Reananda Hidayat PermonoCompleted Master of Science - MS, Petroleum Geology from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
This year’s Saint Patrick's Day falls on Friday, March 17; therefore, it gives people the opportunity to celebrate over the weekend.
Saint Patrick's Day gives a reason to party for many Americans, but many may not know about the history behind this.
According to History.com, Saint Patrick lived in the fifth century and would bring Christianity to Ireland.
In Ireland, he is celebrated as the national patron saint and is honored with a yearly religious ceremony.
The day of his death, March 17, was a religious holiday in Ireland, where the Irish attended church and memorized his missionary acts.
Later, Irish soldiers and immigrants brought the holiday to America.
They started to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day in remembrance of their home country.
Their enthusiasm infected the American people, and Saint Patrick's Day became a celebration in the United States.
Irish cultures are alive in American society since almost 10% of Americans have Irish ancestry today.
Saint Patrick was a Catholic, so the holiday feels important for Irish Catholic churches.
Interestingly, the holiday has been modernized and has become more commercial.
All over the country, people celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with green drinks, parades, and festivities will all things green.
People also celebrate the holiday by preparing traditional Irish foods and green-colored foods.