The Origin of St. Patrick's Day

• Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day! But how did this celebration of green come about? The origin of St. Patrick's Day was established as a religious feast day in honor of the death of St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. Traditionally St. Patrick's Day, observed on March 17th, is celebrated in Ireland and in many Irish communities throughout the world. The St. Patrick's Day celebration traditionally includes an Irish mass in the morning and a celebration of traditional Irish food and dance throughout the day. Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish. To those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. Most Irish citizens attend mass followed by an evening of traditional Irish food and drink. Your tummy is probably rumbling for corn beef and cabbage, but, the traditional Irish meal is actually boiled bacon and cabbage. Still sounds good to us!

About St. Patrick

• St. Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. St. Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century. He is most known for driving the snakes out of Ireland; although that is probably more symbolic of him putting an end to pagan practices involving snakes. St. Patrick did however superimpose a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is known today as the Celtic cross.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

• People dressed in green, floats trimmed in the colors of Ireland and bagpipes playing loudly - it must be time for the St. Patrick's Day Parade! Contrary to popular belief, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was not held in Ireland but in New York City by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army. Celebrated with traditional Irish music, the parade helped Irish soldiers reconnect to their Irish roots. To this day, the New York City parade is the most popular St. Patrick's Day parade in the United States. Other must see St. Patrick's Day parades are the Boston St. Patrick's Day parade and the Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade, where they dye the Chicago river green.

Irish Traditions

• There are many Irish traditions people use to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and other Irish occasions, although not all of them are historically accurate. Some of the Irish customs people are more familiar with include, wearing green and drinking beer. Actually wearing green is strictly a U.S. custom, as the color green is considered unlucky in Ireland. Green is connected to the old green flag and a time when Ireland was not free. Americans have embraced their own Patrick's Day tradition of drinking large amounts of green beer, which has no real historical Irish references at all. Another new St. Patrick's Day tradition started by school children is pinching classmates who don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day Party

• Hosting a St. Patrick's Day party is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. To help you get started, our team of leprechauns at American Greetings have developed printable St. Patrick's Day party sets to help accessorize your home with green leprechaun cups, napkin holders and a pot-of-gold centerpiece. Of course, it wouldn't be a St. Patrick's Day party without music. If you like Irish music, then try the Celtic sounds from the best known Irish group in the United States, the Chieftains. Selecting which Irish beer you'll be turning green is easy, however we recommend using a light draft beer for the green dye, and Guinness for traditional Irish flavor. Cooking a traditional Irish meal to feed 20 - 40 guests is a challenge. We liked the simple Irish stew and soda bread recipes on Cooks.com. We also found a good Corn Beef and Cabbage recipe on all Recipes.com. If you skip the St. Patrick's Day decorations, food, music or green beer don't worry. The most important part of hosting any party, especially a St. Patrick's Day party, is that you spend time with your guests. Luck of the Irish to you!

Irish Symbols

• Leprechauns
  As a St. Patrick's Day symbol, the leprechaun is a smiling, merry little elf. However, legend tells us that leprechauns are always grumpy, untrustworthy and very tricky. Leprechauns are believed to be little old men who make shoes for fairies and are usually about two feet tall. The legend says that if you catch a leprechaun, you can force them to tell you where they hid their pot of gold.
  
  Shamrocks
  According to Irish legend, St. Patrick chose a three leaved clover or shamrock as a symbol of the church's Holy Trinity because of its three leaflets bound by a common stalk. He used the tri-leaved plant to help illustrate the idea of the holy trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A shamrock is not a four leaf clover, contrary to popular belief. When a four leaf clover is found it is said to represent God's grace. The good luck attached with the four leaf clover predates Christianity in Ireland back to the ancient Druid priests.