Written by Jaden Parker

St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 17th every year. With its many traditions and iconic green color, the story of how St. Patrick’s Day started is just as exciting as its current celebrations. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was kidnapped and taken as a slave to Ireland when he was 16. He would return, however, to convert the Irish to Christianity. March 17th was the date of his death. One of the myths surrounding his life is that he explained the Holy Trinity to the Irish using a shamrock with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each representing a leaf of the clover. 

Interestingly enough, the first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade was in 1601 in Florida. It was organized by Ricardo Artur, the Spanish colony’s Irish vicar at the time. In 1772, Irish soldiers had a parade in New York City, which got the ball rolling with celebrations in America. A little under 100 years later, Chicago would start its tradition of dying the Chicago River green with vegetable dye. Amidst the Great Potato Famine in 1845, which saw a rush of Irish Catholics coming into America, St. Patrick’s Day parades were a hotspot for political candidates to show their support for Irish Americans, who in the voting world were an important swing vote.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world with the consumption of corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread all washed down with a pint or two (or three or four). 

Stay tuned for all of the exciting stuff I’ve got in store for you about this lovely holiday!