St. Patrick
spent over 30 years converting the people of Ireland to
Christianity. People celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March
17th to commemorate his death on that day in 461 AD. What
originally began as a religious feast celebrated in Ireland
has become a secular holiday celebrating everything Irish
in many countries around the world.
People celebrate
St. Patrick's Day in many different ways. The most common
way is to wear green. People who forget to wear their
green may be in for a painful surprise as they are likely
to be pinched. School children appear to be the originators
of the pinching tradition and they diligently keep the
tradition alive every year.
In addition
to wearing green people may also adorn themselves with
other symbols of the holiday like the Leprechaun and the
Shamrock. The Shamrock has become a symbol of St. Patrick's
Day because St. Patrick used its three leaves to demonstrate
the Holy Trinity when converting the Irish.
Another St.
Patrick's Day tradition is a parade. The first St. Patrick's
Day Parade was held in New York City in 1762. Irish soldiers
who were fighting for the English marched through New
York to Irish music in a parade which made being far away
from home a little easier.
Large St. Patrick's
Day Parades and celebrations had become an annual tradition
in many places throughout the world except Ireland. The
Irish had celebrated the day as a religious feast but
in 1995 the Irish government realized a holiday that celebrates
being Irish would be good for tourism. Multiple day St.
Patrick's Festivals are held in Ireland now and the festival
in Dublin attracts over 1 million people. If
you join in the celebration this year, just don't forget
to wear your green.
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