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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Green fills the streets as parade
floats drive by and people cheer in celebration. People in green
outfits swarm the streets alongside parade floats, drinks and merry
songs. The story behind the annually celebrated festivities starts
with a man named Maewyn who was born in Britain, kidnapped and taken
as a slave in Ireland. He later escaped to a monastery in France
where he converted to Christianity, according to
GeoriaPublicBroadcast.org.
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Chicago river dyed green on St. Patrick's Day, looking east from Michigan Avenue bridge. (Image provided by Mike Boehmer, March 2009 via Flickr /
Wikimedia Commons)
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Eventually Maewyn became a bishop, spreading the Christian faith
and beliefs throughout Ireland. Many of the symbols used today for
decorations and lore are tied to things Maewyn, later known as St.
Patrick, used during his travels. One such item is the Shamrock
(three-leaf clover), which he used to explain the holy trinity to
groups of people. Some traditions stem from practices that were
started after the annual celebration began in the United States.
Traditions include dying a section of a river green, which began
in Chicago in 1962 when city officials decided to dye a portion of
the Chicago River green. Another staple of the holiday comes in the
form of a popular dish. Due to poverty, certain meals couldn't be
afforded so Irish American families bought beef and cabbage which
became a famous dish for the holiday, according to
GeoriaPublicBroadcast.org.
Until the 1970s, St. Patrick's
Day, in Ireland, was a minor religious holiday. A priest would
acknowledge the feast day, and families would celebrate with a big
meal. The celebration truly became popular by Irish-Americans in
America, according to NationalGeographic.com.
After the fame
of the parade in New York City increased, other cities with Irish
communities began hosting their celebration such as Boston,
Massachusetts; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina. As
St. Patrick Parades began to flourish, wearing the color green
signified a commitment to Ireland.
Myths and beliefs also
come with the history of the holiday. Some of which include wearing
the Shamrock in remembrance and tradition, a myth that St. Patrick
banished all snakes from Ireland explaining the lack of scaly
reptiles on the island, and other stories that were spread after his
death in 461 A.D. After his death, however, tales of his travels
began to spread and eventually his name and stories became a basis
for the holiday famously celebrated today, according to the National
Geographic's official website.
St. Patrick's Day is
celebrated every year on March 17 with shamrocks, stories, Irish
food, drinks and parades. Celebrations such as New York City's St.
Patrick's Day Parade have been part of the history of this country.
18th-century Irish soldiers fighting with the British in the U.S.
Revolutionary War held the first St. Patrick's Day parade March 17,
1762, according to National Geographic's official website, making it
one of America's oldest Irish traditions. The Parade can still be
viewed on New York City's 5th Avenue between 44th St. and 79th St.
every year.
March 17, people all over the country will don
green outfits and accessories to celebrate the Irish holiday. From a
march of Irish soldiers through New York City over 200 years ago to
a national holiday celebrated both in the United States and Ireland,
St. Patrick's Day continues to be an important part of both American
and Irish culture.
So whether you celebrate St. Patrick's Day
with a big green hat and clothes or by eating some beef and cabbage,
March 17 is set aside to remember what St. Patrick, an adopted
citizen of Ireland, did for the people in his country.
By USMC Lance Cpl. Charles Santamaria
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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