Happy St. Patrick’s Day, my darling readers! Are you doing anything fun to celebrate? Wearing something green perhaps? I read this great column from Time about the evolution of the holiday and why, even though St. Patrick’s Day is believed to be inherently Irish, the tradition of parading actually started in the United States:
The first recorded celebrations of March 17 took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of elite Irish men came together to celebrate over dinner what they referred to as “the Irish saint.” The tradition of parading began amongst Irish Catholic members of the British Army in New York in 1766 when the day “of St. Patrick, Saint of Ireland, was ushered in with Fifes and Drums,” as described in J.T. Ridge’s 1988 history of the New York parade.
The article explains that the day was actually a rather quiet and somber celebration in Ireland where—wait for it—bars across the country were closed!
My favorite part of the piece describes how St. Patrick’s in the U.S. continued to grow…and spread:
The shared sense of being Irish, of wearing green and in some way marking March 17, has resulted in St. Patrick’s Day being observed in a similar fashion to July Fourth or Halloween. It’s the closest thing in America to National Immigrant Day, a tribute not only to the Irish, but to the idea that Americans are all part “other.”
You can read the full piece here. Fascinating, right?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
PS: Here are the instructions for the adorable DIY in the pic above!
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