St. Patrick's Day is celebrated every year when it falls on March 17. A date that has become a symbol for the Irish but that has spread to the whole world. Of course, it is in Ireland where it is celebrated in style, with parades and festivals without forgetting the great toast through a good beer. But all this has its origin!
So, we are going to tell you in great detail what is the origin of a festivity like this and the traditions as well as the legends that have arisen as a result of Saint Patrick's Day. It is true that there are numerous stories behind it, but we are left with the most important and those that have reached our days. Do you want to know a little more about all this?
who was saint patrick
If we are to start at the beginning, we must know who Saint Patrick was. Well, he was an English man and not Irish who was born in the year 400. His name was not Patrick either, but Maewyn. Although when he was young they kidnapped him and took him to Ireland but after a lot of effort, he managed to escape and became a priest, creating different churches wherever he went and spreading Christianity. Precisely, he died on March 17, 461. From then on it became one of the days of celebration not for death itself, but for everything he did in life. taking it to to be the patron saint of Ireland since the year 1780.
The legends and traditions around Saint Patrick
In addition to being a priest and establishing his faith wherever he went, there is another legend behind St. Patrick's Day. Because it is said that he was in charge of eliminating the plague of snakes that invaded Ireland. Although for some there was no such plague and for others, it was not directly Saint Patrick who took care of said problem.
At first, the color of this important day was not green but blue. Also, although it is a day that is closely related to the world of beer or alcohol in general, it was not until the 70s that pubs began to open and you could have a beer. Since before, on a day like this, they were all closed since It was considered a religious holiday.
On the other hand, another of the most common traditions is put a green clover on clothes. Although with wearing a color like the one mentioned, reference is already being made to the big day. It must be remembered that it is not only celebrated with a good beer, but Irish gastronomy is also one of the most special traditions.
St. Patrick's Day around the world
We always mention Ireland and we can say that it is about the origin, but the Irish immigrants extended this celebration to many other places. In fact, today it is already celebrated all over the world. It's more, In New York the first parade was in 1762, where numerous people were walking up Fifth Avenue on foot. In Chicago it was at the end of the 60s when they also joined the tradition. In this case, they began to dye their rivers green, something that fortunately they have improved, using vegetable dye and avoiding further damage.
In Spain there are also many points that add to the festivity. In the big cities we will always find some Irish-influenced taverns or bars where you can enjoy a good beer and the best music as accompaniment. What's more, there are many areas or buildings that light up in green.