What is St. Patrick’s Day really about? Why we wear green and celebrate March 17
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, with plenty scheduled around Charlotte in celebration.
Although many have come to associate the holiday with parades, bar crawls and light-hearted fun, the holiday’s roots are much deeper in the Christian faith and history of Ireland.
Here’s what to know about the origins and traditions of St. Patrick’s Day:
What is St. Patrick’s Day and why do we celebrate it?
St. Patrick’s Day is a feast day in the Catholic faith honoring the patron saint of Ireland, who lived in the fifth century.
St. Patrick was brought to Ireland as a slave as a teenager, History.com explains.
“He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people,” the group said. “In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture.”
As more and more people immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland, the holiday became increasingly popular in America.
“Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia,” the History Channel notes. “Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world in locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.”
Charlotte’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day parade has been around for decades.
Why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated on March 17th?
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 because that is an approximation of the anniversary of his death in the fifth century, per the History Channel.
Why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?
Green is widely associated with St. Patrick’s Day, but it wasn’t always St. Patrick’s signature color.
“The traditional color associated with him was blue,” Christopher Cahill of the American Irish Historical Society told the History Channel.
Over time, green became increasingly connected to the holiday because of Ireland’s iconic green landscapes, Cahill said.
Green shamrocks — the national flower of Ireland — are also a popular symbol on the holiday as a nod to the legend of St. Patrick using the three-leaved plant to “explain the concept of the Holy Trinity,” Encyclopedia Britannica explains.
What food is eaten on St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day “falls during the Christian season of Lent,” the History Channel notes, during which some Christians observe dietary restrictions.
However, “Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived” in Ireland for the holiday, meaning folks could “feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.”
The St. Patrick’s Day menu continues to often include cabbage, the Food Network explains, including dishes such as Colcannon, an Irish twist on mashed potatoes.
Corned beef is a popular entree, and Irish soda bread is a popular side dish or dessert.
