The truth behind Saint Patrick's Day

It's about that time of the year when we start to see an influx of tacky green shirts, in denial alcoholics, and people suddenly identifying with their Irish heritage. That’s right, it’s Saint Patrick’s Day season. We all see things that celebrate and commemorate the holiday, but how many of us actually know what we are celebrating? Let's get into the truth behind Saint Patrick’s Day.

The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. So where does the drinking come in? On Saint Patrick's Day, Christians were allowed to put aside their Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol consumption. This is why excessive drinking has become so permanently linked to the celebration. A Holiday that started based on religion alone began to develop into a cultural celebration and tradition.

With this holiday, like many others, comes parades. Green floats fill popular city streets celebrating this great green holiday. The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade began in the 1760s in New York City by Irishmen serving there in the British military. Later on in the 1800s when Irish-Catholic immigrants were facing discrimination in the US, St. Paddy’s Day parades became an opportunity to show strength in numbers.

In conclusion Saint Patrick’s Day is a day to honor your religion, heritage, history, or your friend who happens to be Irish. So now that you know the history, feel free to wear green, just celebrate responsibly.