| St. Patrick's Day has become a
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| | Patrick's Cathedral stands in Manhattan
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| celebration of all things Irish. Most
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| | as a majestic reminder of the history of
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| public celebrations include quite large
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| | Irish people in New York City.
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| quantities of alcohol. Many families
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| | As America grew, so did its Irish
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| serve corned beef, cabbage, and mint
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| | population. Throughout the late 18th
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| chocolate pies every year on March 17th.
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| | century, Irish Aid societies like the
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| And some cities like Chicago turn large
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| | Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick would hold
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| bodies of water green to commemorate the
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| | annual parades celebrating St. Patrick's
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| life of St. Patrick.
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| | Day. These parades came to include
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| "But who was St. Patrick" St. Patrick is
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| | bagpipes and drums, even though bagpipes
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| the patron saint of Ireland and is one of
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| | were known more as a Scottish custom than
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| the most celebrated figures in modern
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| | Irish.
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| Christianity. He was born to British
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| | When the Great Potato Famine hit in 1845,
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| aristocrats in the late fourth century;
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| | almost a million poor Irishmen streamed
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| as in most aristocratic families at that
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| | into America. Unlike their middle-class
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| time, Patrick as a later son was destined
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| | Protestant predecessors, these immigrants
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| for the priesthood in order to bring tax
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| | were Catholic and often uneducated. They
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| incentives to his wealthy family. When he
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| | found great difficulty in finding work,
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| was 16 years old, he was captured by
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| | and were ridiculed in public and in the
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| Irish raiders and held for six years.
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| | press as drunken monkeys with
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| During this time, he became much more
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| | undecipherable accents. During this time,
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| spiritual as he was a lonely shepherd and
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| | St. Patrick's Day celebrations grew
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| required his faith to keep him strong.
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| | decidedly more subdued.
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| After six years in County Mayo, Patrick
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| | By the early 20th century; however, the
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| heard a voice, that he believed to be
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| | Irish population in the United States
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| God's, telling him to leave Ireland (as
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| | came to realize that they were large in
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| was indicated in his writings many years
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| | number and thus had voting power. They
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| later). He walked hundreds of miles to
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| | began to court public opinion and became
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| the coast where he was able to escape to
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| | quite a political machine. When Harry S.
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| Britain. He was then ordained into the
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| | Truman attended the New York City St.
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| priesthood. He returned to Ireland as a
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| | Patrick's Day parade in 1948, many
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| priest, as the majority of Irish were at
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| | Irish-Americans knew that they were at
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| that time Pagan.
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| | last an accepted part of American
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| Patrick's time in captivity in Ireland
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| | culture.
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| had influenced him greatly and he brought
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| | In Ireland itself, St. Patrick's Day was
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| many Irish customs to his parishioners.
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| | traditionally a religious holiday. In
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| He began celebrating Easter with a large
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| | fact, until the mid-1970's, Irish law
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| bonfire, following the Irish practice of
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| | dictated that all pubs and bars had to be
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| honoring their gods with fire. And he
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| | closed. By 1995; however, the Irish
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| created the Celtic Cross by superimposing
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| | government began to use St. Patrick's Day
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| the image of a sun onto the cross. St.
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| | as a driver for tourism as people all
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| Patrick died in 460 AD, and it is largely
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| | over the world clamored for all things
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| believed that he died on March 17th.
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| | Irish. St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin
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| As time went on, St. Patrick's legend
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| | now draws over 1 million people in a
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| grew throughout the United Kingdom and
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| | multi-day celebration with parades,
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| particularly in Ireland. He became a
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| | concerts, and fireworks.
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| figure that was larger than life, and it
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| | In homes throughout the world, St.
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| is believed he completed many
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| | Patrick's Day is celebrated without
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| near-impossible feats, including the
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| | alcoholic excess. Many Irish Catholic
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| driving out of the snakes and abolishment
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| | families celebrate with a day of prayers.
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| of the Druids at Tara. His influence on
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| | Families cook the traditional Irish feast
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| everything Christian in Ireland; however,
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| | of corned beef (also known as Irish
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| is unmistakable. He can be singularly
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| | bacon), cabbage, and soda bread. Many of
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| credited for spreading Christianity
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| | these families end the night with some
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| throughout all of Ireland.
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| | coffee with Irish crème, and a chocolate
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| The first St. Patrick's Day was
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| | pie or cake liberally saturated with mint
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| celebrated in New York City on March 17,
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| | flavoring. These traditions are passed
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| 1762. Irish soldiers serving in the
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| | from generation to generation, and are
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| British Army in the American Colonies
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| | revered as much as if not more so than
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| marched through the streets of New York
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| | the alcoholic debauchery that is known so
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| to celebrate their Irish homeland from
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| | well.
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| which they had long since been away. St.
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