By Crystal Mobaraka
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17th. St. Patrick’s Day has been of very religious importance to the Irish or people of Irish descent for over thousands of years. Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. To celebrate people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. Saint Patrick lived in the fifth century as a patron saint in Ireland although he wasn’t Irish, he was British.
The origin of why St. Patrick’s Day was formed is because of how St. Patrick introduced Christianity through the father, the son, and the holy spirit as the three leaves on a shamrock (a very popular Irish clover). Shortly after he died, the day was symbolized as a day to remember him and all of the peacefulness he brought to the people around him.
After several years people began to associate the holiday with having good luck, wearing green to resemble the green of a shamrock or being pinched by leprechauns because then you become invisible to them, and dedicating the day to finding four leaf clovers. Four leaf clovers are not only rare but very lucky to find because they are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck. A fun fact is that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every “lucky” four-leaf clover.
There are multiple ways to celebrate on the week of or the actual day of St. Patrick's Day. March 15th-17th there is a Dublin St. Patrick's Day Celebration, March 16th there is a St. Patrick's Day Parade & Irish Festival in San Diego. To add, the Queen Mary St. Patrick's Day Eve Pub Stroll in Long Beach also occurs. Also, St. Patrick's Day in Hollywood is always packed and has many different things going on.
Overall, the holiday honors Saint Patrick, the introduction of Christianity to Ireland, and the Irish people's heritage and culture as a whole. Festivities typically include céilithe, wearing green clothing or shamrocks, and participating in parades and festivals open to the public to share their knowledge and bring awareness.
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