March Article
1 min read
St. Patrick’s Day History
By: Brett Minarcin
We have all heard of St. Patty’s day, a day to wear green and if you are old enough, drink green beer! However, there is an actual history of this day that few seem to know about. I asked multiple students from different sending schools the same question. “What were you taught about St. Patrick’s Day?” Out of the ten students that I asked four said they were taught little to nothing, two said they were taught an adequate amount, and the last four said most of what they know they learned on their own.
The story is told that St. Patrick was kidnapped from his home in Roman, Britain, and taken to Ireland to work as a slave. He returned at 42 to help convert the people to Christianity. He used the shamrock to explain the Holy trinity to the people he spoke to about this religion. He had established churches, monasteries, and schools in Ireland. Some of the traditions and events that stemmed from his teachings and his fame in Ireland traveled over to the United States.
The celebrations in America first started in Boston, then New York, and Chicago. The Irish also celebrated this day, but, at the benefit of tourism. If one decides to celebrate this year remember the tradition in which the holiday was born with St. Patrick.
(Chicago’s Green River is dyed every St. Patty’s day)
