Each March 17 An important date is celebrated that has great repercussions in various countries around the world. It is the day of St. Patrickin which the Irish patron saint is worshiped through endless celebrations in which beer and joy are dyed green.
This date is characteristic for the numerous parades that are carried out in a very popular way in several countries of the world, especially in Ireland Y USAsuch as the celebrations of the cities of Dublin (since 1931) and New York (Since 1762, when a group of Irish soldiers marched through the center of the city, this being the first celebration of the date).
Noting the great repercussion generated by this celebration, from nineteen ninety six The Irish government began to massively commemorate this saint, exploiting all the potential that he generates, through the typical symbols of Ireland. Year after year the celebration is more and more lasting, extending to 5 days of pure celebration, color and joy.
But beyond the festival, we are presented with four elements related to the date associated with each other: the Leprechaun and the beer and the clover with the saint patron saint of Ireland
The Leprechaun, or also known as the typical Irish goblin is a classic character from the irish mythology, supposedly prior to the Celtic tribes. Its name derives from the term Luprachanor perhaps from Gaelic Leith Bhrogan (the one who makes a shoe), given his role as a roguish shoemaker who makes only one shoe of each pair (due to mischief and drunkenness). He usually manifests it with traditional clothes especially green during the festival of St. Patrick. This folkloric being is characterized by being the owner of a great fortune in gold coins, but at the same time very elusive. Many stories say that as soon as the man loses sight of him for a second, the goblin quickly slips away, taking with him the secret of the location of all his riches.
During the party of St. Patrickhe is almost always represented with a beer in his hand, being a symbol of Ireland and alcoholic culture.
Traditions linked to Saint Patrick’s Day
The Saint Patrick’s day It is celebrated every year on March 17. As has already been indicated, it is a holiday closely linked to Ireland and is still celebrated today in this country, where said date is a national holiday. However, over time, it has spread to all those countries where the Irish community has significant weight, such as the United States. At the same time, its fun and revelry nature has made the most festive aspects of this celebration spread throughout the world and, today, Saint Patrick’s Day can be enjoyed in countries where this tradition was barely known a few years ago, such as Australia, Japan, Malaysia or Russia.
Patrick’s Day celebrations can vary depending on where they take place, although their main symbols remain the same. In many places in Ireland, for example, there are still masses to commemorate the patron saint of the country, an aspect that is often ignored in other countries, especially non-Catholic ones. However, the aspects that are almost never missing from a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, regardless of where it takes place, are the following:
Lots of Irish food and, above all, drink. Excesses in these areas often star continuously on St. Patrick’s Day. This has its traditional explanation on the date on which this festival is celebrated. Lent, a time when Catholics should display fasting and meditation, away from pleasures such as meat and alcohol, usually has already begun by that date. However, on that day, despite the general restrictions imposed by this Catholic tradition, everything is allowed again for one day, so this possibility was traditionally used to the full. Therefore, food and, especially, drink are the great traditional protagonists of this festival. foods like corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, black pudding, sausages and the famous “shepherds’ pie”, among other dishes, cannot be missed in this celebration. Among drinks, beer is the true queen, to the point that many bars dye it green to honor this holiday, although other drinks, such as whiskey, do not usually miss their date with Saint Patrick.
parade. Almost every city where the feast of Saint Patrick enjoys great prestige organizes an outstanding and creative parade to honor this holiday. Many Irish cities now host these types of parades, but they are certainly several of the larger American cities, such as Boston, New York or New Orleans, which have become best known for their impressive displays in this regard. In these parades, music, color, costumes and jokes take center stage and are usually followed by thousands of people, who even come to these cities especially to enjoy Saint Patrick’s Day. The oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade is, to the surprise of many, the one held in New York, which dates back to the 18th century, since the Irish capital, Dublin, did not start celebrating its own until 1995, as a way to help to promote tourism, although this festival had already been celebrated there long before.
The conquest of green: During Saint Patrick’s Day, green becomes the protagonist. Everyone must wear at least one garment of this color and the clover (symbol of Christian Ireland), proliferates everywhere. However, this passion for green has gone a step further in recent years and there is rarely a city where this Irish tradition is very strong that does not reflect green in its urban planning in some special way to celebrate this day. For example, in some cities, especially in the United States, the waters of the rivers are dyed green and in many others the most emblematic buildings are also dressed in green. This exemplifies how green becomes the undeniable and inescapable protagonist of Saint Patrick’s Day wherever it is celebrated.
Other widespread traditions indicate that traditional Irish music should also have a special role, although it is true that this has been progressively replaced by other mixes. However, there is never a self-respecting St. Patrick’s party that dispenses entirely with the best-known Irish songs. At the same time, it is also very common for all kinds of people to dress in the irish traditional costumes to enjoy the day, although this is not a widespread tradition. Finally, it should be mentioned that each place on the planet has its own traditions linked to Saint Patrick’s Day, beyond the signs of common identity that can never be lacking.
Thus, for example, in several cities, the festivities of Saint Patrick’s Day are accompanied by craft and variety fairs and festivals that last several days and that encourage the public in the face of the stellar day of the celebration, among other traditions.