Home News Why is St Patricks Day Celebrated on March 17th?

Why is St Patricks Day Celebrated on March 17th?

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US – Wearing green and celebrating with a green pint of your favorite beverage wasn’t how St Patricks Day was originally celebrated but more of a religious holiday

March 17th is a special day for the Irish who celebrate the life of Saint Patrick who wasn’t Irish himself and was brought to Ireland as a slave in the 5th century and would later bring Christianity to its people. Saint Patrick would never know his legacy because St Patrick’s day would not be celebrated until around 500 years after his death on March 17th.

The legacy of the man became ingrained in Irish lore, the man who brought the religion of the Christian faith to its people. Irish families would attend church and celebrate the afternoon with foods not allowed during lent.

It wasn’t until the 18th century that Irish Americans would start a traditional parade in the US honoring their heritage and changing the view on the holiday. Some Irish natives and 19th-century Irishmen feel that St Patrick’s day helped fight stereotypes and racial prejudice in the “New World” bringing another meaning to the holiday in the US.

Surprisingly the Irish have had strict laws against public consumption of alcohol on St Patrick’s day, and it was only in 1995 that laws were loosened in the country to allow pubs to be open on the holiday.

Chicago has been celebrating St Patrick’s day in a completely different way by coloring its main river green for the day.