Saint Patrick’s Day
2 min read
By: Clay Lorigan
Saint Patrick’s Day takes place on March 17th every year. The holiday originated in Ireland to honor one of Ireland’s patron saints, Saint Patrick. Traditionally, there were feasts and religious services to honor Saint Patrick. So, who was Saint Patrick? Saint Patrick was originally from Britain and moved to Ireland when he was 16. He became interested in Christianity and started teaching others about the religion and spreading it throughout the country. Saint Patrick’s Day is now celebrated on the day he was believed to have died.
Even though Saint Patrick was a real person, not everything associated with Saint Patrick’s Day is true. When thinking of the day, four leaf clovers probably come to mind, but it was according to legend, Patrick used three leaf clovers in his teachings. There is also a legend that says Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland, however this is unlikely because snakes have never lived in the country. Green may also be the color associated with the Irish holiday, but the original color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Green was only introduced around the 18th century because the shamrock became a national symbol. The tradition of wearing green started around leprechauns. Myths say if you wear green, you’re invisible to them and you can avoid being pinched. Some people also think that green brings good luck or that it honors their Irish ancestry.
When Noah Wysocki (an ADT student) was asked if he knew anything about Saint Patrick’s Day, he replied, “Not much, but I do know it’s originated in Ireland, and you wear green.” He was also questioned about if he did anything to celebrate and he said, “Yeah, my family gets together, and we eat roast.” Vic Major (an ADT student) was also questioned if he knew anything about the holiday and he answered similar to Noah. “Yeah, it’s a holiday that originated in Ireland.” However, unlike Noah, he does not do anything to celebrate the occasion.
