St. Patrick’s Day traditions, explained

PeopleparticipateinaSt.Patrick'sDayparade.ChrisMcGrath/GettyImages

(VOX)

St.Patrick’sDay,celebratedeveryyearonMarch17,hasbecomesynonymouswithshamrocks,thecolorgreen,pinching,(ifperchanceyou’veforgottentowearthecolorgreen),andplentyofguilt-freealcoholimbibing.Buttheholiday,commemoratedintoday’sgreenandshamrock-inflectedGoogleDoodle,hasalong,richreligioushistory.

ThetraditiongoesallthewaybacktoSt.Patrick,whoiscreditedwithbringingCatholicismtoIreland.Forcenturies,hismemorywashonoredwithafeastandatriptochurch.

How,then,didaholidayontheofficialCatholiccalendarbecomeassociatedwithallthematerialtrappingsofmodernity?Whydoweknowtheholidaymoreforitsalcoholandparades,itsgreenbeerandShamrockShakes,thanforitsreligiousmeaning?

WhowasSt.Patrick,anyway?

St.Patrick’sstorybeginsasayoungmaninthefifthcentury,whenatage16hewaskidnappedfromhisBritishhomebyIrishraidersandtakenasaslavetoGaelicIreland.

It’sagrimbeginningtoastorythatwouldshapeIreland’snationalholiday.ButwhilecaptiveinIreland,workingasashepherd,Patrick"foundGod,"whoinstructedhimtoescapetotheIrishcoast,whereashipwouldbewaitingtoferryhimhome.Whathappenednextisunclear—heeitherwentstraightbacktoBritainortookadetourthroughFrance.

WhatwedoknowisthathebecameaCatholicpriestandeventuallyreturnedtoIreland,wherehespentmuchoftherestofhislifeproselytizingtopaganIrishmen.

Youmaywonderwhytheshamrockissodeeplyassociatedwiththisholiday.It’sbecauseinhismissionarywork,St.Patricksupposedlyusedtheclovertoexplaintheholytrinity.

Becausehewasoneofthefirstmissionariessenttothecountry,hespentmuchtimeinitswesternandnorthernreaches.DeeplyassociatedwiththeCatholicChurchstructurethere,heordainedpriests,dividedthecountryintodioceses,andfoundedseveralmonasteries.

Themarkheleftonthecountrygrewinlegendovercenturies,andnowheisconsideredoneofthecountry’sforemostsaints.TheIrishpeoplerememberhimeachMarch17,thedayitissaidhedied.

It’sunclearwhetherSt.Patrick’sbodyisburiedinIreland,aslegendhasit.Butwhilehewasstillalive,themanoftensaidhewaswillingtodieinIrelandsothathismissionmightprovesuccessful.

HowdidSt.Patrick’sDaybecomesucharaucouscelebration?

InIreland,St.Patrick’sDayisnotonlyatimeforcelebrationbutalsoareligiousexperience.Sincethebeginningofthe17thcentury,ithasbeencelebratedasanofficialreligiousholidayontheCatholiccalendar.Thecountry’sbanksandotherbusinessesclosedown,andmostIrishcitizensattendMasstogivethanksformissionariesworkingaroundtheworld.

Becauseit’sahappyoccasion,theCatholicrestrictionsoneatinganddrinkingduringLentarealsotemporarilyrestricted.Thatmightbewhydrinking,themostindulgentofpursuits,hascometobeassociatedwiththeholiday.

Evenso,thedayremainedaprimarilyreligiousoccasionatleastthroughthestartofthe20thcentury,whenIreland—inashowofpatriotism—addedanannualmilitaryparadethatranthroughthestreetsofDublin,Ireland’scapital.

Butitwasnotuntilthe1960sthattheparadewastransformedintoaspectacleprimarilymeanttoentertain.Andasasignofthetimes,barsactuallyremainedclosedonSt.Patrick’sDayuntilthisdecade.

Whatinspiredthechange?Arguably,theIrishsawhowAmericanswerecommemoratingtheirholiday,andtheygotjealous.

ForafullerexplorationofhowAmericamanufacturedthemodernculturalSt.Patrick’sDayexperience,checkoutthiswonderfulTimemagazinestorytracingitsevolution.Butsufficeittosaythatgoingasfarbackasthelate1700s,IrishAmericansputonshowyparadesandcelebrationsonSt.Patrick’sDaytoasserttheirgrowinginfluenceinAmerica,overincreasinglystridentnativistunease.

Then,bythe20thcentury,Americancompaniesrealizedthemarketingpotentialofallthingsgreen,andthecountryhasn’tlookedbacksince.TheSt.Patrick’sDayspiritwassoinfectiousthatbythelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyitwasimportedbacktoIreland,whichembracedtheholidayasatimefordrinkingandotherdebauchery.

WhatareafewothertraditionsIshouldbeawareof?

Thesetraditionsarelesssteepedinhistory,butthey’reworthknowinganyway–especiallyifyouwanttocelebratethesaintproperlyyourself.

·Eatingcornedbeefandcabbage:This,again,isactuallymoreofanAmericanthanIrishtradition.Itdatesbacktothe19thcentury,whenmostIrishAmericanswerepoorandcouldonlyaffordthecheapestmeatpossible,cornedbeef.Asforcabbage,it’smostlikelyincludedsimplybecauseit’saspringvegetable.

·Drowningtheshamrock:Simplyplaceacloveratthebottomofyourcup,fillwithGuinnessorIrishwhiskey,anddrinkup.It’suptoyouwhetheryou’dliketoeattheshamrockorchuckitoveryourshoulderforgoodluck.

·Wearinggreen:Actually,thiscolorassociationiskindofafluke.Originally,theoriginalcolorofSt.Patrick’sDaywasblue.Butforseveralreasons,greenprevailed.IrelandisoftenreferredtoastheEmeraldIsle,anditsflagdisplaysagreenstripe.IrishCatholicstypicallyweargreen(IrishProtestantstypicallywearorange,theotherprominentcolorontheIrishflag).And,ofcourse,shamrocksaregreen,givingthecoloranaddedadvantage.

·Pinchingotherswhoarenotwearinggreen:Rumorhasitthatleprechauns—whoaremostoftenimaginedwearinggreengetups—pinchthosearoundthemwhoarenotsportingsimilarlygreenapparel.Thathasevolvedintohumanspinchingeachothertodisplaythedisapprovalwethinktheleprechaunswouldbeshowing.Youwon’tbesurprisedtoknowthatthis,too,isalargelyAmericantradition.TheIrishleprechaunsofyoredidn’tevenweargreen.Butthatwon’tstopstrangersfromtakingapinch,sochooseyouroutfitwisely.