Deck out in green this St Patrick’s day to not get pinched! “Yikes,” says Tucker Nobach. St Patrick’s day is a holiday celebrated on the 17th of March every year by millions of people. Leprechauns, clovers, green, and Shamrock Shakes are all things associated with the holiday. It is celebrated to honor St. Patricks estimated death. The event originated as a religious holiday but over time has turned into an Irish celebration.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. However, he actually wasn’t Irish. St. Patrick was born in Great Britain. But at 16, he was taken to Ireland as a slave to work in the country. He spent six years in captivity before he escaped. After he came he became interested in Christianity and taught others about the religion. He is said to have converted many people to Christianity. St. Patrick also used the three leaf clover to teach the Irish about Christianity, using the three leaves to represent the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. By the time he died, he had established churches, schools, and monasteries. Today, St. Patrick is honored for his good deeds on every 17th of March.
Many traditions have been started since the very first St. Patrick’s Day, but one of the most well known traditions is the leprechaun and his famous pot of gold. The leprechaun is typically seen as a small old man who grants wishes. The original Irish name for these tricky creatures is “lobaircin,” which means “Small-bodied fellow.” Leprechauns were first written about in Irish folklore thousands of years ago, which shows why they are associated with the Irish holiday. The color green is also a big part of the Irish holiday. Some old beliefs would say that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns. Others say it gives you good luck to wear green or to wear green or get pinched. Some newer traditions involve dyeing the Chicago River green to celebrate.
Green treats are often eaten on this special day, but more traditionally, corned beef and cabbage is a main dish. Cabbage is an Irish food, but corned beef came from Irish immigrants in New York City trying to save money. They had corned beef instead of traditional Irish bacon. In 1967, Hal Rosen created the famous Shamrock Shake for McDonalds. The mint flavor is a fan favorite for the holiday all over America, but originally the festive drink had a lemon-lime flavor. Seventh grader Bella Boyum says “I really like the shake and I think lemon lime would be an interesting choice but I don’t think it’s for me.”
This holiday has many fun activities to partake in. “My favorite thing about St. Patricks day is helping my little brother set a trap for the leprechaun,” says seventh grader, Brekkyn Ayres. Although not all St. Patrick’s day customs are considered true, they are still a very important part of the fun holiday. Many new and old traditions are yet to be celebrated this year and years to come, and be sure to not forget to wear green!
