There are few holidays that have undergone a transformation like that of St. Patrick’s Day. The celebration began in Ireland in honor of the nation’s patron saint. However, immigration and secularization helped spread the tradition making it a global day to pay tribute to everything Irish. Nowadays, March 17 is celebrated across the globe every year. Historians suggest that Ireland has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day for more than a millennium. It was a season to cut loose during the Catholic Lent season. As a result, the celebration became synonymous with Irish food and drinks.
Nowadays, Saint Paddy’s day is celebrated in different ways across the globe. Immigrants from Ireland moved to the US and other countries, bringing the tradition with them. Over the years, the celebrations have morphed and become more modernized into the big festival it is now. Although the festivities have changed over the years, they still bear the hallmarks of the uniqueness of the Irish tradition.
Here are the seven leading St. Patrick’s Day Traditions around the globe according to Betway casino:
The Shamrock
The Shamrock is a Saint Paddy’s Day symbol that dates way back to the 1700s. Historians reveal that the Shamrock has been part of the Irish iconography for a long time because it is a sign of “the rebirth of spring.” They further suggest that poor Irish citizens used to wear the trefoil plant to church ceremonies on St. Patrick’s Day to look nice.
The Irish immigrants who moved to the US in the 1700s came with the Shamrock stateside’s symbol and image as a way of honoring their heritage. It also has a deeper meaning in relation to St. Patrick’s Day because St. Patrick is said to have used the Shamrock’s three leaves to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity.
Religious Services
Despite becoming more diverse in terms of religion, Ireland remains predominantly catholic. According to history, St. Patrick’s Day has solid Christian roots. St. Patrick lived in the 5th century, where he began as a slave before eventually serving as Ireland’s patron saint. According to history experts, he played a crucial role in bringing Christianity to Ireland, his adopted homeland.
He built many schools and churches in Ireland. The Roman Catholics commemorate St. Patrick’s Day with a feast. The holiday itself usually comes in the middle of Lent, a period of personal somberness meant to draw parallels between individual sacrifice and the 40 days Jesus spent wandering in the desert.
Irish Food
One of the signature meals of Saint Paddy’s Day is corned beef and cabbage. This meal is regarded as a staple of any good holiday feast. However, it is not very popular in Ireland and is more of an Irish-American meal. Irish immigrants in the US used to get their meat from kosher butchers who were their neighbors in the populous urban areas. As a result, it is described more precisely as “Jewish corned beef thrown into a pot together with potatoes and cabbage. “
But, the Smithsonian reports that lamb and bacon is the more traditional dish in Ireland during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. You can also find others having Irish soda bread, shepherd’s pie, colcannon, and other things dyed green.
Cold Drinks
Most of the revelers on St. Patrick’s Day are seen imbibing some sort of beer. Low-cost beer in the US is usually dyed green for the celebrations. This tradition can be traced back to 1910, and its popularity grew in the 50s. Nowadays, it has become common practice for bars hosting revelers on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to serve “Green” beer.
During the festivals, Irish varieties of beer are usually the favorites. According to Guinness, nearly 3 million pints are drunk during the celebrations. There are also other cocktails like whiskey and Bailey’s and non-alcoholic drinks like Shamrock Shakes.
The Leprechaun Is the Day’s Mythical Mascot
The Leprechaun is also another fixture of the day’s celebrations. The creatures have been a staple of Irish folklore for many years. According to history records, they were initially referred to as “lobaircin” which means “small-bodied fellow.” The parades held around the world commonly feature leprechauns.
According to folklore, the leprechauns were often portrayed with a pot of gold which humans could only find by catching them.
Irish Music
Irish music takes preeminence during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. A “Ceili” is an Irish social gathering that features dancing to traditional Irish music. Ireland has a myriad of musical instruments that are played during the celebration performances.
Some popular instruments you will see include the Celtic harp, bodhran, a unique drum, the uilleann pipes, and the fiddle. The gatherings are held all over the world in places where the celebrations are held.
Pinching
You should beware of pinchers in your midst. There is a pinching of people who don’t have any green attire on them during the celebrations. This widespread practice is inspired by a doubtful legend that claims that only those wearing green were invisible from the leprechauns’ roguish fingers.
Parades
The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are not complete without a parade. It is believed that the first American St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1796 in Boston. After that, annual parades have become common during the celebrations. All the major cities, including New York and Chicago, hold parades.
Ireland holds its own parades in Belfast and Dublin. The celebrations usually include Irish Music, marchers donning traditional garments, and a lot of white, orange, and green to match the Irish flag.
