| St. Patrick's Day has become a celebration of all | | | | in the British Army in the American Colonies |
| things Irish. But who was St. Patrick? Learn why | | | | marched through the streets of New York to |
| St. Patrick became a figure larger than life and | | | | celebrate their Irish homeland from which they |
| how the festivities have changed over the | | | | had long since been away. St. Patrick's Cathedral |
| centuries. | | | | stands in Manhattan as a majestic reminder of |
| St. Patrick's Day has become a celebration of all | | | | the history of Irish people in New York City. |
| things Irish. Most public celebrations include quite | | | | As America grew, so did its Irish population. |
| large quantities of alcohol. Many families serve | | | | Throughout the late 18th century, Irish Aid |
| corned beef, cabbage, and mint chocolate pies | | | | societies like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick |
| every year on March 17th. And some cities like | | | | would hold annual parades celebrating St. Patrick's |
| Chicago turn large bodies of water green to | | | | Day. These parades came to include bagpipes and |
| commemorate the life of St. Patrick. | | | | drums, even though bagpipes were known more |
| "But who was St. Patrick" St. Patrick is the patron | | | | as a Scottish custom than Irish. |
| saint of Ireland and is one of the most celebrated | | | | When the Great Potato Famine hit in 1845, almost |
| figures in modern Christianity. He was born to | | | | a million poor Irishmen streamed into America. |
| British aristocrats in the late fourth century; as in | | | | Unlike their middle-class Protestant predecessors, |
| most aristocratic families at that time, Patrick as | | | | these immigrants were Catholic and often |
| a later son was destined for the priesthood in | | | | uneducated. They found great difficulty in finding |
| order to bring tax incentives to his wealthy family. | | | | work, and were ridiculed in public and in the press |
| When he was 16 years old, he was captured by | | | | as drunken monkeys with undecipherable accents. |
| Irish raiders and held for six years. During this | | | | During this time, St. Patrick's Day celebrations |
| time, he became much more spiritual as he was a | | | | grew decidedly more subdued. |
| lonely shepherd and required his faith to keep him | | | | By the early 20th century; however, the Irish |
| strong. | | | | population in the United States came to realize |
| After six years in County Mayo, Patrick heard a | | | | that they were large in number and thus had |
| voice, that he believed to be God's, telling him to | | | | voting power. They began to court public opinion |
| leave Ireland (as was indicated in his writings | | | | and became quite a political machine. When Harry |
| many years later). He walked hundreds of miles | | | | S. Truman attended the New York City St. |
| to the coast where he was able to escape to | | | | Patrick's Day parade in 1948, many |
| Britain. He was then ordained into the priesthood. | | | | Irish-Americans knew that they were at last an |
| He returned to Ireland as a priest, as the majority | | | | accepted part of American culture. |
| of Irish were at that time Pagan. | | | | In Ireland itself, St. Patrick's Day was traditionally |
| Patrick's time in captivity in Ireland had influenced | | | | a religious holiday. In fact, until the mid-1970's, Irish |
| him greatly and he brought many Irish customs | | | | law dictated that all pubs and bars had to be |
| to his parishioners. He began celebrating Easter | | | | closed. By 1995; however, the Irish government |
| with a large bonfire, following the Irish practice of | | | | began to use St. Patrick's Day as a driver for |
| honoring their gods with fire. And he created the | | | | tourism as people all over the world clamored for |
| Celtic Cross by superimposing the image of a sun | | | | all things Irish. St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin now |
| onto the cross. St. Patrick died in 460 AD, and it | | | | draws over 1 million people in a multi-day |
| is largely believed that he died on March 17th. | | | | celebration with parades, concerts, and fireworks. |
| As time went on, St. Patrick's legend grew | | | | In homes throughout the world, St. Patrick's Day |
| throughout the United Kingdom and particularly in | | | | is celebrated without alcoholic excess. Many Irish |
| Ireland. He became a figure that was larger than | | | | Catholic families celebrate with a day of prayers. |
| life, and it is believed he completed many | | | | Families cook the traditional Irish feast of corned |
| near-impossible feats, including the driving out of | | | | beef (also known as Irish bacon), cabbage, and |
| the snakes and abolishment of the Druids at Tara. | | | | soda bread. Many of these families end the night |
| His influence on everything Christian in Ireland; | | | | with some coffee with Irish crème, and a |
| however, is unmistakable. He can be singularly | | | | chocolate pie or cake liberally saturated with mint |
| credited for spreading Christianity throughout all of | | | | flavoring. These traditions are passed from |
| Ireland. | | | | generation to generation, and are revered as |
| The first St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in New | | | | much as if not more so than the alcoholic |
| York City on March 17, 1762. Irish soldiers serving | | | | debauchery that is known so well. |